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Naga peace talks : Muivah puts Delhi in a spot

	December 25, 2006

Springing a surprise of sorts, Thuingaleng Muivah, general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), arrived in New Delhi on Dec. 18.



Immediately on his arrival at New Delhi, Muivah fired his first salvo at the Manmohan Singh government.



He stated categorically that the current “state of affairs does not allow us (the Nagas) to go ahead with pretensions.”



Talking tough, he made it clear that Nagalim, as conceived by the NSCN (I-M), will not be part of the Indian federation; instead, what he wanted was a federation of Nagalim with India.



He added that the Prime Minister, by inviting the Naga leaders to come to India, has showed that he was seriously concerned and does not want the issue to go out of hand.



Delhi’s negotiator, K. Padmanabhaiah, was at the airport to receive Muivah.





Tough task ahead



Reports say Muivah has a tough task on hand during this visit. Besides challenges from the rival group the peace process with the Centre has suffered setbacks. There are fissures in its own ranks too. Although nine NSCN (I-M) leaders were present at the airport, the outfit’s “special emissary” for the peace talks, V.S. Atem, was conspicuous by his absence. So were NGO heads and student leaders who usually receive the rebel leader.





Muviah’s master stroke



While the outfit wants to impart momentum to the peace process, Muivah has played a master stroke, turning a crisis into an opportunity. His visa in the Netherlands is said to have expired and the Naga leader has used the opportunity for renewal of his passport to return to India, much to Delhi’s discomfiture.



Unprepared for the sudden visit, Delhi is likely to keep the Naga leader on hold for some time.



The next round of Naga talks is scheduled to be held early next month, since both leaders of the outfit would have arrived in India by then. Chairman Isak Chishi Swu is expected to arrive shortly after the New Year.





Death threat to Muivah



On the day when Muivah arrived in India, the factional feud between the militant groups in Nagaland came into sharp focus, with the Khaplang faction of NSCN threatening to assassinate the NSCN(IM) leader if he enters the state.



A spokesman of the NSCN(K) Kughalu Mulatonu told the media that their “boys” were ready to attack Muivah if he tried to enter the state. He said around 60 activists had been deployed in and around Dimapur, the state’s commercial capital and a stronghold of the rival faction, to carry out the assassination.





Muivah ignores threats : Official security stepped up



NSCN(IM) has, however, brushed aside the threat from their rival faction. A spokesman for the Muviah faction, Kraibo Chawang said their leader will spend Christmas in the national capital and New Year’s Day in Nagaland.



Meanwhile, security for NSCN(IM) leader T. Muivah, has been stepped up both at the Centre and state levels.



Announcing this, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said his government would provide all necessary security to NSCN (I-M) leaders when they arrive for consultative meetings with the Naga people on the issue of pushing forward the Naga peace process.



Praising the decision of the NSCN (I-M) leaders to consult the people, Rio said, “It is a positive sign that they have been invited to Nagaland to hold further consultation with the people.”









Church steps in



Even as the two Naga militant factions, the NSCN (K) and NSCN(IM), continue to be at logger heads, the Church which enjoys considerable influence in the Christian-dominated Nagaland, has called for peace in view of the Christmas celebrations.



Yuletide spirit reigns all over the state



Meanwhile, reports from Kohima say the countdown to Christmas has begun in the Nagaland capital. The town is in the grip of the Yuletide spirit, with all state government offices downing shutters. The presence of militants, particularly in Kohima and Dimapur has, however, created uneasiness among the people. There are reports of rampant extortion.