Dimapur, April 4: The NSCN (IM) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah said that “Nagalim”, the land of Naga tribals, had been invaded by India and Myanmar and the Nagas have neither been a part of the Union of India nor that of the Burma (now Myanmar) either by consent or by conquest.

Muivah, while addressing the General Assembly of Unrepresented Nations and People’s Organization (UNPO) in Washington D.C. (USA), said that the Nagas had been living in their own free country till the British imperialist forces occupied a part of it in 1832 while the rest called ‘free Naga area’ remained free as ever.

“On the eve of the departure of the British, the Nagas of the British occupied Naga territory declared their independence on August 14, 1947 and joined with their brothers in free Naga area… In 1950, the Indian Constituent Assembly invited the Nagas to join the Union of India, but it was rejected by the Naga people,” said the leader of Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN).

He alleged that with a view to legalise its military occupation of “Nagalim”, the government of India imposed its will upon the Nagas in the form of the so-called 16-point agreement in 1960. However, it was rejected outrightly by the Naga people.

Muivah reportedly delivered the address at the UNPO, a 44 member organisation, last week, but the speech was released to the media by the NSCN(IM) on Monday.

The Naga leader said that realising that seeking for a military solution to the political problem is a futile exercise, the government of India invited the NSCN leadership for political talks leading to a cease-fire agreement between government and NSCN signed in August, 1997.

“After 22 years long intensive negotiations with the government involving six Prime Ministers, the historic Framework Agreement was signed on August 3, 2015 in the presence of the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi).”

Muivah claimed that the government also recognises the legitimate right of the Nagas to territorial integration of all Naga areas under one political roof.

“Since the unique history of the Nagas and the sovereign right of the Nagas are recognised, it is understood that the Naga flag and constitution are ingredients of their sovereignty,” he stated.

The former government interlocutor and then Nagaland Governor, R.N.Ravi, currently Tamil Nadu Governor, earlier on a number of occasions had rejected the separate Naga flag and constitution.

The NSCN leader said that in spite of all facts, commitments and agreements, the government of India has started misinterpreting what has been mutually agreed upon and going back on its word.

“In the event of breaking down the current negotiations we foresee serious human rights violations again in Nagalim,” he said.

Muivah told the UNPO “to look into the fragile situation of the Indo-Naga political talks and take a positive role from your end so that the current peace process is brought to a logical conclusion.”

The NSCN-IM and other outfits entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 1997 and in the subsequent years have held more than 85 rounds of political negotiations with the government.