Until political deal NSCN (IM) against oil exploration in Nagaland

Nagaland: The NSCN (IM) has said that exploration of oil and natural gas in any form will not be allowed in the Naga areas until an honorable political settlement is reached between the Nagas and the Government of India.

“This is the firm stand of the NSCN,” the organisation’s Ministry of Information and Publicity said in a statement on Wednesday.
The NSCN recalled that it had issued a standing order more than two decades ago that no exploration and extraction of mineral wealth would be allowed in Naga areas unless a political compromise was reached.
“This order is still valid today,” he confirmed. The organization added that in the name of mobilizing financial resources for development, no justification would stand for tampering with the inalienable rights of the Naga people over their lands and resources.
According to NSCN, ever since the creation of Nagaland state in 1963, the Government of India has been eyeing the mineral wealth of the Nagas as the state is rich in various mineral deposits, especially petroleum.
“But the main point is the unresolved political issue that is still hanging on the negotiating table for more than 25 years,” he added.
The oil issue comes at a time when the Government of India is showing no sincerity and commitment to respect the historical and political rights of the Naga people as enshrined in the historic Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015, the statement said.
It added that the Center has been dragging Indo-Naga political dialogue for more than 25 years on the weak basis of negotiations on the non-negotiable issue of the Naga national flag and constitution.

“The 600 million tonnes of oil and natural gas reserves are a blessed wealth of the Nagas and as long as the Government of India continues to handle the Naga political issue in a flattering and deceitful fashion, no power is free to exploit it.” will be given.”
“Inasmuch as the Government of India has accorded great economic importance to the mineral wealth, particularly the oil and natural gas of Nagaland, the same political commitment should be demonstrated in a meaningful and credible manner as demanded in the ongoing Indo-Naga political dialogue. NSCN emphasized.
It said that the Nagas would not like to stand as a laughing stock in front of the world when the Naga political issue still looks like an oddity after signing the Framework Agreement in 2015.

“Thus, what belongs to the Naga people will not be allowed to be subjugated as we see during the colonial era. The priority has to be set in the right context,” the NSCN added.