Kohima: Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to bring about a ‘true and permanent’ settlement to the protracted Indo-Naga political issue, and to resolve the 67 years old conflict ‘once and for all.’
In a memorandum to the Prime Minister at Chumukedima Police Complex on Sunday last, ACAUT Nagaland has asked him to consider the ‘consequences of any settlement minus ‘One Government One Tax,” said in a press statement.
‘In the absence of unity amongst the Naga Political Groups (NPGs), it would counterproductively perpetuate another round of Civil War within Nagaland, with all the sidelined Factions predictably refusing to endorse GoI’s agreement with only one Faction,’ stated the memorandum signed by various representatives of ACAUT Nagaland.
It also stated that the PM should ‘take into confidence all the stake holders whose lives will invariably be affected by whatever settlement arrived at.’ Thus, ACAUT Nagaland noted as ‘pertinent’ that the views of Naga civil society represented by the Village Councils are sought so that ‘conclusion of any settlement does not spawn a post-settlement conflict.’
‘The Naga villages have since time immemorial wielded real authority and it is imperative that the opinions of Naga Village Councils and Chiefs are sought and accommodated for any well-meaning settlement.’
Highlighting that ‘Over the decades successive Indian governments have failed to resolve this most protracted issue either due to lack of consensus, political will or simply insincerity,’ the memorandum stated that the Naga people have ‘borne the consequences of this inability on the part of the Indian Government to resolve the issue in one form or the other, the latest being the burning issue of unabated taxation being levied by all the 8 existing factions.’
ACAUT Nagaland contended that almost two decades of ceasefire between the GOI and the NPGs have only ‘worsened the situation’ in Naga society in terms of ‘random unabated taxation, worsening law and order situation, increased corruption, factional animosity leading to frequent infighting and killings and absence of infrastructural development.’
Unabated taxation is the cause of factionalism and factionalism the cause of unabated taxation, it stated. Under the circumstances, in 2008, the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) initiated the cry for Unity and Reconciliation among the warring factions. However, after 6 years of ‘tireless effort’ by the FNR, ‘the NPGs seem to have abandoned the idea of reconciliation,’ following which, the ‘One Government One Tax’ slogan was adopted by the ACAUT. UNI
