By Hemanta Kumar Nath

Guwahati: A Naga leader’s recent statement on greater Nagaland has triggered protests in Assam.

Thuingaleng Muivah, general secretary of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-Isaac Muivah allegedly said that the Framework Agreement signed with the federal government on August 3, 2015, has recognized the outfit’s demand for integration of all Naga inhabited areas in the north eastern region in the form of Greater Nagalim.

He made the comments at their headquarters Hebron on March 21, the 38th Republic Day of Nagalim, reports India Blooms News Service.

NSCN (IM) has demanded formation of Greater Nagalim by including the Naga inhabited areas of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

Following Muivah’s alleged statement, several organizations in Assam, including All Assam Students Union (AASU), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad), and ATASA, protested the Nagalim formation and demanded the federal government clear its stand over the Framework Agreement.

On March 25, several organizations burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NSCN (IM).

AASU warned that nobody can take even an inch of Assam’s land and no sections outside of the state have rights to discuss about Assam’s land issue.

The student body also said that they want peace in Nagaland, but not at the cost of Assam’s land.

The student organization also demanded that the federal and the Assam governments make the Framework Agreement public.

The Naga outfit has included parts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivsagar, Charaideo, Jorhat, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao and Nagaon districts in their proposed Nagalim map.

In his statement, Muivah allegedly said, “NSCN embarks upon negotiation in accordance with the mandate of the people. NSCN has had consultative meetings with the people on talks consecutively for eight times. As our national movement is principle-based so our fighting and negotiation are also principle-based and that solution has to be principle-based.”

“The historic ‘Framework Agreement’ recognizes the unique history, the identity, the sovereignty, the territories of the Nagas. It also recognizes the legitimate right of the Nagas to integration of all Naga territories. It also says ‘co-existence of the two entities and share-sovereignty of the two entities’. The agreement does not betray the principle. It is one of the strong foundations for amicable solutions for the Nagas at this given point of time, rejection of which will take the Nagas back to far behind of others. The ‘Framework Agreement ’will safeguard the present and the future of the Nagas,” Muivah said.

The Naga outfit also included 80 percent of Manipur and huge parts of Arunachal Pradesh in their proposed Nagalim.