Protests rocked the streets of Assam on Friday, particularly the districts having borders with Nagaland after Naga militant group — NSCN (IM) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah had recently said the Central Government had recognised the ‘legitimate rights of the Naga people for integration of all Naga inhabited areas’.
Several students’ organisations took to the streets in Golaghat and Charaideu district on Friday and burnt effigies of the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal demanding to make his stand clear over the bilateral framework agreement between the NSCN (IM) and Central Government signed in 2015.
The people of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh fear that they would lose substantial areas of their territories if the Centre agrees to the plan of greater ‘Nagalim’ as demanded by the NSCN (IM).
Assam’s Opposition party Congress said the framework agreement between the Central Government and the NSCN (IM) had threatened the territorial integrity of Assam and added that the party was going to oppose the same tooth and nail.
“I demand Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to make his stand clear over the recent statement of the NSCN (IM) general secretary Th Muivah where he said that the Government of India had recognised the ‘legitimate rights of the Nagas for integration of Naga inhabited areas,” said leader of Opposition of Assam legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia.
“The Central Government signed the framework agreement with the NSCN (IM) leadership on August 2015. However, the BJP-led Central Government has not taken into confidence the people of the three States who would be affected by proposed territorial integrity of Naga inhabited areas,” said Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) spokesman Rituparna Konwar on Friday.
“If what Muivah has said is true, then vast areas of Tinsukia, Dima Hasao, Golaghat, Sivsagar, Jorhar, and Karbi Anglong would be affected. We want a lasting settlement of the Naga problem but not at the cost of people of any neighbouring States,” he said while demanding the Assam Chief Minister to impress upon the Central Government to make public the framework agreement.