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North East : Naga peace process : Heading towards nowhere |
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The much publicised Naga peace talks between the Centre and the militant outfit NSCN(IM) which have so far witnessed four Governments at the Centre (Gujral, Deve Gowda, Vajpayee and now Manmohan Singh) since 1997, are virtually deadlocked and, if media reports are any indication, heading for collapse as the NSCN(IM) leadership has reportedly threatened not to renew the eight-and-a-half-year ceasefire after its term expires on 31 January.
It is true that both the Centre and the NSCN(IM) have shown considerable patience in their efforts to solve the five-decade old problem, but the chief point of contention is “sovereign status for Greater Nagaland,” and, the NSCN(IM) is adamant on this. Hence the deadlock.
Some analysts put the blame for this deadlock, or failure, on New Delhi. They blame all Prime Ministers for the present mess. According to them, the first Prime Minister, I.K. Gujral, who brokered the truce in July 1997, and allegedly “distorted” demarcation which, according to the Naga leader T. Muivah, was not confined to Nagaland but also covered parts of the three adjoining states concerned. Muivah might be right after all because till now the Centre has kept quiet on the truce’s contents and jurisdiction, causing tension in Manipur particularly. Atal Behari Vajpayee raised Naga hopes of achieving a homeland. His underlying motive was purely selfish “ to secure a foothold in Christian-dominated Nagaland “ and the BJP did succeed in sending seven members to the assembly. But Vajpayee then did a turnaround and, six months before the parliamentary poll, he told a large Kohima crowd that Naga integration issue was best decided by the three states concerned and through consensus. That was the end of the BJP-NSCN(IM) back-scratching.
Enter the UPA with its clause in the Common Minimum Programme to not change the North-east states’ boundaries, which put paid to the NSCN(IM)’s dream of the pan-Nagaland concept. But when they threatened to return to the jungles, the ceasefire was renewed on the eve of its expiry in July last year. That several rounds of talks in Delhi lasting nine months have made little headway point to one thing, the necessity of thrashing out a workable solution beyond the sensitive integration demand.
Factional clashes continue
Meanwhile, rival Naga militant factions continue to blame each other for violent incidents in the troubled region. Close on the heels of the NSCN (Khaplang) being held responsible for the murder of former Nagaland Director-General of Police Hesso Mao, the rival Isak-Muivah group has been accused of kidnapping seven persons in Phek district.
Pfutsero Town Council chairman Dingulo Khutso, Chakhesang pastor Nuvosaye Vese and village elder Puneru Chakhesang were among the seven kidnapped last week in retaliation for their “active participation” in a rally against the NSCN (I-M).
The rally in Pfutsero town last month had followed a series of factional clashes between the NSCN (I-M) and the Naga National Council.
A source said the kidnappers took the hostages to Camp Hebron, the NSCN (I-M)’s general headquarters near Dimapur, after a stopover at Zhamai village.
A functionary of the Chakhesang Mission Church Centre confirmed that the kidnapped pastor was at Camp Hebron. “They are all in the NSCN (I-M)’s custody and are being questioned about their role in the protest rally,” he said.
NSCN (I-M) leader Phunthing Shimrang admitted that his outfit had called the pastor and the rest for “discussions”, but denied they were kidnapped.
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