Ruling out a separate flag and Constitution for the Nagas as demanded by the NSCN-IM, the Centre has made it clear that the endless negotiations with the insurgent group under the shadow of guns were not acceptable.
The Central Government is also determined to conclude the 220-year-long peace process without delay, interlocutor for the Naga talks and Nagaland Governor RN Ravi said in a statement.
Ravi said a mutually agreed draft comprehensive settlement, including all the substantive issues and competencies, is ready for inking the final agreement. "Unfortunately at this auspicious juncture, the NSCN-IM has adopted a procrastinating attitude to delay the settlement raising the contentious symbolic issues of separate Naga national flag and constitution on which they are fully aware of the Government of India's position," the statement, issued on Friday night, read.
Ravi's statement bears significance as the central government on August 5 announced abrogation of special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and bifurcated the state into Union territories.
With the annulment of the special status, the separate flag and the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir cease to exist. The ruling BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on many occasions had made it clear that they believe in only one flag and one Constitution for whole India.
Ravi said the NSCN-IM has "mischievously" dragged in the Framework Agreement and began imputing imaginary contents to it.
The framework agreement was signed on August 3, 2015 by NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and the government's interlocutor Ravi in presence of Prime Minister Modi.
Some NSCN-IM leaders through various media platforms are misleading the people with "absurd assumptions and presumptions" over what they have already agreed with the Government of India, he said.
In view of such unfortunate attitude of some NSCN-IM leaders, Ravi held a detailed consultation meeting with the primary stakeholders of the Naga society on October 18 in Kohima.
The meeting was attended by the apex leadership of all the 14 Naga tribes of Nagaland, all the minority non-Naga tribes of Nagaland, the Nagaland Gaon Burha Federation, the Nagaland Tribes Council, church leaders and civil society organisations.