“RSS to support the Indo-Naga peace settlement and not to oppose it”
-K. Timothy Zimik
INTRODUCTION
On 21/11/2025 at Imphal, the tribal leaders and intellectuals of Manipur (happened to be Nagas only) were invited to a talk on 100 Years Journey of RSS and the Road Map by Dr. Mohan Ji Bhagwat, Sarsanghachalak, Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh. I chose to attend the meeting with a view to tell the RSS our Naga history, our struggle for freedom, the need to resolve the Naga political issue and to defend our Christian faith if the occasion demands. Why engage with the RSS ? The RSS has taken a strong stand to oppose the separate Naga national flag and constitution based on its core ideological principles of national integration and “one Hindu nation, one flag, one constitution”. The RSS is of the view that the acceptance of these demands of the Nagas will also open ‘floodgates’ of similar demands from other states and other armed groups. The NSCN (I-M) has also claimed that the Indo-Naga peace talk has stalled because of the strong objections raised by the RSS on the issues of a national flag and separate constitution for the Nagas. Please keep in mind that the RSS and the BJP are deeply connected – ideological, organizational and Hindu nationhood / Hindutva. As such, the RSS exerts significant influence on the BJP’s policies and
strategic direction.
Dr. Mohan talked at length on Hinduism as civilizational identity, India as a Hindu Rashtra (nation), Hindu culture and values, the ethnic crisis and peace in Manipur. Just after his speech, I spoke on the Naga political issue and also the issues of unequal economic development in Manipur and the need for separate budget for the hill areas of Manipur. Dr. Mohan gave a patient hearing and spent about ten more minutes in response to my speech. He insisted that the discussions on such important issues should be based on facts and documented in the form of written submissions for record and taking the necessary action. As I had come prepared, I personally handed over my written representation to him on the dais itself in the presence of all the participants. During the lunch time, senior RSS functionaries who accompanied Dr. Mohan requested me to provide one more copy of my written representation, which I did by giving my office copy.
My written representation addressed to Dr. Mohan is given below :
“I humbly pray that this letter finds you in good health. I am K. Timothy Zimik, IRS, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Retired), the NDA Candidate for Manipur Outer Parliamentary Constituency – Lok Sabha Election 2024. I wish to thank you for inviting the tribal leaders and intellectuals to your programme. Kindly allow me to bring to your kind notice some important socio-economic and political issues concerning the Nagas and the tribals of Manipur for consideration.
BACKGROUND OF THE NAGA STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE
THE NAGA CLUB OF 1918
1. A group of Naga leaders formed the Naga Club in 1918 at Kohima. The Naga Club submitted a memorandum to the Simon Commission in 1929 demanding that the Nagas should not be included within the reformed scheme of administration for British India and, as in ancient times, the Nagas should be left alone to determine their own future.
THE NAGA NATIONAL COUNCIL (NNC) AND THE 9-POINT AGREEMENT
2. The Naga National Council (NNC) formed in 1946 led the Naga struggle for selfdetermination. The efforts made by some NNC leaders led to the 9-Point Agreement of June 29, 1947, between those NNC leaders and the Assam Governor Sir Akbar Hydari in order to resolve the Naga political issue. However, the core NNC leaders refused to honour the Hydari agreement since they were not part of the negotiation and the terms of the agreement were not acceptable to the Nagas.
3. Since the British departure from India was imminent and the fate of the Nagas undecided, the Naga leaders led by A. Z. Phizo turned to the Indian leaders including Mahatma Gandhi to recognize the Naga independence. When the eleven Naga leaders met Mahatma Gandhi on the 19th July, 1947, Gandhi declared his support for Naga independence stating that, “Nagas have every right to be independent …”. Since the British were leaving India without resolving the Naga political issue, the Nagas formally declared themselves to be an independent nation on the 14th August 1947 and hoisted the Naga national flag.
4. The new independent India rejected the Naga claim of sovereignty and independence. Under the leadership of A. Z. Phizo, the NNC continued the struggle for self-determination and held the plebiscite on the 16th May, 1951 wherein 99.9 % of the Nagas reaffirmed to be a sovereign nation. India again rejected the Naga plebiscite and used force to suppress the peaceful struggle of the Nagas for their freedom. The repressive Indian military actions to subjugate the Nagas led to the unending Indo-Naga armed conflict. In the Indo-Naga war unknown to the world, thousands of Nagas were killed, innocent Nagas were herded in concentration camps like animals without food, water and sanitation, their villages, houses, granaries and properties were burned down, innocent Naga women were molested, raped and killed, and inhuman army atrocities were inflicted on them. The Indian security forces continue to commit extreme brutalities and inhuman cruelties on the Nagas.
THE 16-POINT AGREEMENT
5. In July 1960, A. Z. Phizo was pleading with the people of Britain, India and the whole world to help resolve the differences between India and the Nagas, but during the same time, the Naga People’s Convention collaborated and signed the 16-Point Agreement of the 26th July, 1960 with the Government of India. The Naga national workers rejected and condemned the 16-Point Agreement as a sellout. The 16-Point Agreement failed to solve the Naga political issue miserably. The Naga movement for sovereignty continues and the war of independence wages on till date.
6. This 16-Point Agreement led to the creation of a full-fledged state of Nagaland in December, 1963. The cease-fire and the peace talk of September 1964 to October 1967 also failed because the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi refused to entertain the Naga demand for sovereignty but instead, she offered to the Nagas everything within the Union of India. But the Nagas refused to be a part of the Union of India.
THE SHILLONG ACCORD OF 1975 AND THE NSCN OF 1980
7. The Government of India (GOI) signed an accord with a few leaders of the NNC in 1975. Though rejected and abandoned, this accord led to the formation of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) on the 31st January of 1980 led by Thuingaleng Muivah, S.S. Khaplang and Isak Chishi Swu. But due to differences, the NSCN was split into two in 1988 -NSCN (I-M) and NSCN (K). In August 1997, the NSCN (I-M) signed a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India and negotiations started between Government of India and the NSCN (I-M) to find an inclusive and honourable solution acceptable to both the Naga people and the people of India.
THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT
8. In August 2015, the NSCN signed the Framework Agreement (FA) with GOI in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrive at the final agreement. It is stated in the FA that “the Government of India and the NSCN, respecting the people’s wishes for sharing the sovereign power as defined in the competencies, reached an agreement on the 3rd August, 2015 as an honourable solution”. The FA further stated that since the dialogue between the GOI and NSCN had successfully concluded, the FA “will provide for an enduring inclusive new relationship of peaceful co-existence of the two entities”.
9. After signing the FA, the NSCN has explained the key terms contained in the FA and the decisions taken thereafter in its published booklets and official press statements. Some of them are briefly summarized as under:
(1) The Amsterdam Joint Communique dated 07/11/2002 between the GOI and NSCN states that “The government of India recognizes the unique history and position of the Nagas” which is reaffirmed by the GOI in the FA.
(2) Unique history means that “the Nagas have the history of independence. The Nagas have neither been a part of the Union of India nor that of Burma (Myanmar), nor any powers by consent or by conquest”.
(3) Unique position means that “position and situation of Nagalim is political. It is a case of invasion on Nagalim by India”.
(4) The FA acknowledges the fact that “the sovereignty of Nagalim lies with the Naga people”.
(5) By signing the FA, the Government of India admits the historical fact that the sovereign Naga people have not accepted the Indian constitution.
(6) Shared-sovereignty means that the “sovereign Indian people and the sovereign Naga people will share sovereign power in some areas as defined in the competencies”.
(7) An enduring inclusive new relationship of peaceful co-existence of the two entities means that (a) it embraces all Nagas wherever they are including all political groups, (b) a new relationship based on the Framework Agreement, and (c) co-existence of two peoples – the Indian people and the Naga people.
(8) On the questions of the Naga National flag and the constitution, the NSCN has reaffirmed that the Naga national flag and the constitution are constituent parts of sovereignty and are integral to the Naga sovereignty. Therefore, the NSCN has declared and reaffirmed that it shall defend and protect the Naga unique history, the Naga territory, the Naga sovereignty, the Naga national flag and the constitution to the last, come what may.
10. The FA concluded with the statement that “The two sides agreed that within the framework agreement details and execution plan will be worked out and implemented shortly”. Thereafter, the NSCN and the GOI had met several times and many crucial details or competencies had been worked out and finalized. Some important competencies have not been finalized including the Naga national flag and the separate constitution.
THE NNPG AND THE AGREED POSITION
11. The GOI soon realized that the NSCN is a tough negotiator and is unwaveringly steadfast regarding its stated position in respect to the Naga national flag and the separate constitution. However, now the Nagas have become so divided, fragmented and weak that the GOI decides to exploit this weakness to the hilt and dictate terms to the Nagas. So the first step is to discredit the NSCN. The GOI began to describe the NSCN as a secessionist underground group, terrorist, extortionist, etc. It did not work. The NSCN stood its ground. Thus, the GOI was forced to look back to the pages of Naga history for an answer. It finds that a new Naga people’s Convention of 1960 is needed to destroy is own child: the Framework Agreement. Accordingly, the GOI and some Nagas quietly set up the Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) in December, 2016 consisting of 6 Naga political groups and an agreement called the Agreed Position (AP) was signed between the GOI and the NNPG on 17 November, 2017.
Unfortunately, this Agreed Position further complicated and derailed the Naga peace process because there cannot be two or more agreements with different armed groups to solve the Naga political issue. It is unfortunate that the GOI used the NNPG to wreck the FA. In October 2019, the GOI finally issued the ultimatum to the NSCN to sign the agreement on the terms and conditions dictated by it. Unlike the NNPG, the NSCN refused to submit to the GOI. The Naga National Flag and the Naga National Constitution
12. In the FA, the GOI and NSCN agreed to share sovereignty as defined in the competencies. As such, the Naga national flag and the separate constitution has to be the basis for a negotiated political settlement between the Nagas and India. Under the Framework Agreement, the Nagas can have their own Naga national flag and separate constitution as can be seen in many countries of the world. The USA has its federal constitution and national flag and allows its 50 states to have their own separate constitutions different from each other and flags that represent the individual sovereignty of each state. Each state of Australia has its own constitution, its own distinct flag and not only that, each state has a Premier. These Australian states have partially ceded some sovereign rights to the federal government. China allows Macau and Hongkong their own separate flags and constitutions with high degree of autonomy. Canada’s provinces have their own distinct flags and separate constitutions. Argentina’s provinces have their own constitutions. Ethiopia allows its regions to have their own distinct flags, emblems and constitutions and the power is shared between the federal government and the regional states. There are many countries in the world like Japan, United Kingdom that allow separate flags for each of the provinces or regions.
13. The NSCN has made its stand very clear that there will be no honourable solution to the Naga political issue without the non-negotiable Naga national flag and the separate constitution. In the author’s considered view, the GOI should have recognized the Naga national flag, the constitution provided and solved the Naga political issue a long time ago if the GOI was sincere and had the political will. It is not that the Naga flag cannot be recognized. It can be. The Nagas had this flag yesterday, they have this flag today, and they shall have it tomorrow too. Similarly, when all the competencies/ issues are resolved between the Nagas and the GOI, then the final settlement or solution shall be in the form of a constitution. This is the least the Nagas must have. There is no place for the Nagas to come down further except abject surrender. The Nagas have never considered themselves to be Indians and will never be. The Nagas want to co-exist with India in peace with honour, dignity and the distinct Naga national identity.
14. The Naga people yearn for peace and therefore, they want to settle the Naga issue with India. After the signing the Framework Agreement (FA) of August, 2015, the GOI and the NSCN have resolved many issues. There are mainly two issues left to be resolved: (1) the Naga national flag and (2) separate constitution for the Nagas. Both the parties have invested heavily in this peace process. The two parties have made very determined efforts to resolve the Naga issue.
15. However, both sides have taken rigid and divergent views on the issues of Naga flag and the separate constitution which have led to the peace talk stalled and inconclusive. It needs not to be this way. In the FA, both the parties, ‘respecting people’s wishes for sharing the sovereign power’ as defined in the competencies, reached an agreement on the 3rd August, 2015 as an honorable solution’. Since the dialogue between the two parties have been concluded, the FA says that ‘it will provide for an enduring inclusive new relationship of co-existence of the two entities.’ In order to implement the said agreement, both sides need to find the middle ground whereby the concerns of both the parties with respect to the Naga flag and separate constitution are addressed in order to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution through co-operation and collaboration. This matter has been raised with the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India vide my letter dated 02/09/2024. I earnestly request your honor and the RSS to support the Indo-Naga peace settlement and not to oppose it.
16. Sir, when the FA was signed, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India brought high hopes to the people of our country. Now we urge you to help us and the GOI to complete the task and bring true happiness, peace and prosperity in Manipur and in the North-East India.
THE BENEFITS OF SOLVING THE NAGA ISSUE:
17. The benefits are:
(1) The honorable solution of the Naga Political issue will bring peace and all-round development in the North-East India.
(2) All insurgencies in the North-east will die down and disappear.
(3) The ASEAN nations and India will be connected much better in terms of economic integration, security cooperation and socio-cultural relations.
(4) The Nagas will help India to emerge as a strong global power. This century will be defined by two Asian powers – India and China.
(5) The Nagas will turn into a fierce patriotic force jointly defending the eastern international borders of India.
(6) Solving the Naga issue will demonstrate the statesmanship and the decisive leadership of the PM and the Indian leaders that will usher in a new India of peace, development and prosperity in the North-east and the rest of India.
(7) Solving the Naga issue will make the ‘Act East Policy’ a success story.
MEITEI-KUKI CONFLICT OF MANIPUR
18. The Meitei-Kuki conflict is very complex mainly because of the continuous influx of illegal immigrants/ refugees from Myanmar, the historical conflict over indigeneity, control and ownership of land and natural resources, homeland demands, massive illegal poppy plantations and illegal drug trafficking, etc. In this Meitei-Kuki war, we, the Nagas have maintained strict neutrality so far. Therefore, as trusted Naga leaders who have not taken sides in this conflict, we are in a unique position to play the role of a catalyst for bringing peace and development in Manipur. Sir, we will be happy to play the role of peacemakers in Manipur.
ECONOMIC MARGINALIZATION OF THE TRIBALS OF MANIPUR
19. In this regard, I am enclosing herewith a copy of the Petition dated 10/10/2025 submitted to the President of India requesting for a separate budget for the Hill Areas of Manipur for your kind consideration. I trust that your honor will carefully consider our submissions and help us in solving our problems. We will be eagerly awaiting your positive response in this regard.
