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North East: Naga problem : Warning to Centre over ceasefire violations |
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Outraged by the killing of five NSCN (I-M) activists on the outskirts of Shillong on Wednesday, Oct. 5, Naga civil organisations have warned the Centre not to let the state instruments under its control make what they called “a mockery of the ceasefire agreement.”
The Centre, concerned that the killings would have an adverse impact on the ongoing peace process, reacted by despatching Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandez to Shillong on a stock-taking mission after winding up his programme in the Garo hills.
A public funeral service for the victims was held at the main square of Dimapur after the corteges carrying their mortal remains were brought to the town on October 7.
Traffic in the main city square came to a halt for several hours and shops stayed shut in protest against what many believe to be a conspiracy to murder NSCN (I-M) members and Naga youthdespite a ceasefire and the fact that the outfit is no longer banned. A high-level source said the Centre was under pressure to order a probe into the incident as it was bound to crop up in the October 9 parleys in the Thai capital.
Fernandez is leading the Indian delegation that will comprise interlocutor K. Padmanabhaiah and Home Ministry officials. The Bangkok round of talks will be the second since the Naga leaders left New Delhi in July.
Back in Dimapur, in the presence of a large crowd, leaders of several influential Naga civil groups such as the Naga Hoho, Naga Council, NSF and mothers’ organisations warned the Centre not to let the state instruments subservient to it reduce the ceasefire pact to a farce.
Condemning the alleged killing by Meghalaya policemen, Naga Council leader Savi Legesie told the gathering that a memorandum would be sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to take steps to stop such flagrant violation of human rights and killing of Naga youth.
Pointing out that the letter and spirit of the ongoing truce were being violated with impunity by security forces, president of the NSF, Phushika Aomi, asked the Centre if those body bags of “our fellow brothers” were the fruits of the ceasefire that the Nagas had reached with the Centre.
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