Naga rebel outfit opposes oil exploration bid by Assam-Nagaland governments

The NSCN-IM claimed that the exploration bid has come 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.

New Delhi: At a time when the Assam and Nagaland governments have agreed in principle to go for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for oil exploration in the disputed areas along the inter-state boundary, the separatist group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-Issam Muivah) on Wednesday opposed the move and said that no exploration of oil and natural gas in Naga territories in any form shall be allowed until the Indo-Naga political imbroglio is resolved.

Days after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio decided to sign an agreement, the Naga rebel outfit said that priority has to be set in the correct perspective. “Until honorable political settlement between the Nagas and Government of India is reached, no exploration of oil and natural gas in Naga territories in any form shall be allowed. This is our resolute stand,” the NSCN-IM said.

The outfit alleged that ever since Nagaland state was created in 1963, the Government of India has been casting "covetous eyes" on mineral wealth as Nagaland state is endowed with a variety of mineral deposits, particularly petroleum. It further highlighted that the sticking point is the unresolved political issue that is still hanging fire for more than 25 years.

“Significantly, more than two decades back National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) had issued a standing order that no mineral wealth in Naga areas will be allowed for exploration and extraction until a political settlement is reached. This order still stands valid today. Therefore, no amount of justification in the name of mobilizing financial resources for development will stand to ride roughshod over the inalienable Naga people’s rights over their land resources,” the outfit clarified.

The NSCN-IM claimed that the exploration bid has come 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, and pulling the Indo-Naga political talks for more than 25 years on the flimsy ground of negotiating on the non-negotiable issue of Naga National Flag and Constitution".

The NSCN-IM said, “No wonder the huge mineral wealth is a reflection of God’s gift for the Naga nation. The 600 million tonnes of oil and natural gas reserves is a blessed wealth of Nagas and no authority will be given the liberty to exploit so long as the Government of India continues to handle the Naga political issue in a flattering and betraying fashion.”

“As much as the Government of India attached huge economic significance to the mineral wealth, particularly oil and natural gas of Nagaland, the same degree of political commitment should be demonstrated in a meaningful and credible manner as demanded by the ongoing Indo-Naga political talks,” it said.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma have said that both states have agreed to go for an MoU on oil exploration in the disputed areas along the inter-state boundary so that oil can be extracted and royalties shared between the neighbouring states. Since 1997, the NSCN-IM has been in talks with the government of India seeking a political solution to the Indo-Naga political conflict. The demand for a separate flag and a constitution by NSCN-IM has posed a stumbling block for a permanent solution.