Constitution of India: Demand for Sovereign State
Mon, 08/30/2010 - 05:42 — LIG Reporter
The Naga community comprises of more than 30 tribes scattered in north east India. Of late, the Nagas are demanding for a sovereign Naga nation under the Constitution of India. The Separatists Movement started in 1918 but the unification of all Naga inhabited regions is the main factor that forms the backbone of the Indo-Naga negotiation talks.
When the protests from the Naga community turned violent, the government of India sought assistance from the Army to quash the rebellion. Further, in 1972, the Armed Forces Special Power Act was enforced in the entire North East area and the region was declared as a ‘disturbed area.’ 
Constitution of India: Problems Faced by Nagas
The Government of India took an indifferent stand on the issue by refusing to address the demands of the Naga community for a sovereign state. The Indian Government chose to ignore the Naga community and left them without any solution. They directed the Nagas to seek the help of the neighboring Sates and then integrate all Naga inhabited areas. However, the response of the neighboring states remained disheartening, something that the government of India had known when it gave the direction. Most states are particularly focused about protecting their own territories. Suppose Manipur gives its consent for unification of all Naga inhabited areas, then it will be left with only one-fourth of its original size.
However, the problems faced by the Nagas continue to worsen. Those who live outside Nagaland complain of receiving step-motherly treatment. They become social pariahs in other states and often experience social discrimination and ridicule. Being a minority community, the Nagas are not perceived as bonafide citizens in their own country. This has made them more determined to assert their right to self-determination.
Several prominent writers, journalists, politicians, activists and law-makers have stated that if the Nagas cannot live with dignity, they should be given a chance to separate and unify into a separate sovereign state called Nagaland. However, the government of India is unlikely to give in to demands of the Naga community as most neighboring states are firm about not compromising their territorial integrity for the sake of self-determination of the Nagas.
Every Indian citizen has the right to live in peace and security but misguided demands for separate states will pave the way for insurgency, involvement of foreign powers that have vested political interests and a grave security threat to India, as a nation. The answer to this demand lies in the Constitution of India that declares the country, as a whole, as a sovereign, independent state that represents the collective will of the people of India.
Final Legal Take Away Tip: Article 3 of the Constitution of India pertains to the formation of new states and alteration of areas, boundaries or even names of existing states. It reads that the Parliament of India, by law, can:
Parliament may by law-
(a) Form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States or parts of States or by uniting any territory to a part of any State;
(b) Increase the area of any State;
(c) Diminish the area of any State;
(d) Alter the boundaries of any State;
(e) Alter the name of any State:
However, this can be done only on the recommendation of the President.
Comments
The present demand for Frontier Nagaland is quite legitimate. We have been the victims of communal Nagaland Govt and NSCN-IM. We will always remain as Nagas with our own culture and lifestyles. Now when we demand for Frontier Nagaland, there are promises coming up like construction of infrasture, job reservations and road development, etc. All those promises can't stop us to form Frontier Nagaland. These are all tricks and we have been promised and befooled about these promises. Every Naga knows how Nagaland was formed and it is quite right time to form Frontier Nagaland on that historical basis. There is no need to worry about bloodshed among Nagas. We seek readers' comments.
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