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North-East : Naga problem : Ceasefire with NSCN(IM) : Unrest in other States

	June 18, 2001

In its efforts to carry out the process of negotiations with militant outfits in Nagaland to solve the 53 year old insurgency problem in the state, the Union Government last week reached an accord with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) to extend the four year old ceasefire for another year. The most salient feature of the accord this time is that it will be without any territorial limits.

Making a formal announcement of the extension of ceasefire with the NSCN(IM), the Union Home Secretary, Mr. Kamal Pande, told mediamen in New Delhi that “the most salient feature of this latest extension of the ceasefire is that it will be without any territorial limits. However, this stipulation will not, in any way, affect the territorial integrity of any of the North Eastern States.” Mr. Pande asserted that the North Eastern states had been assured that extension of the truce beyond Nagaland would not, in any way, impinge upon their territorial integrity. “In fact, a written communication is being sent to the North Eastern states”, he added.

New Delhi further claimed that the concerned state governments had been consulted and the ground situation taken into consideration before extending the truce. Asked whether it would not give a leverage to the NSCN(IM) to press its demand for a Greater Nagaland, the Union Home Secretary said the present round of talks was confined only to the extension of the ceasefire. Both sides expressed the hope that talks on more substantive issues would be held at a much faster pace. They also agreed to move forward with the process of dialogue to bring about a lasting political solution to the vexed issue. Mr. Pande termed the discussions in Bangkok as “extremely fruitful.”

He said the ceasefire agreement was between the Government of India and the NSCN as two entities without territorial limits. “Both the parties would abide by the ground rules as revised on January 13, 2001, both in letter and spirit. It is agreed to further extend the ceasefire for a period of one year with effect from August 1, 2001.” The ceasefire first came into operation from July 1997 during the United Front government headed by I.K. Gujral.

The Home Secretary said the two sides also agreed to strictly implement the ground rules and there would be no highway hold-ups, no extortion, the cadres of the NSCN(IM) would not move with their arms and not break laws of the land. On including the Khaplang faction of the NSCN in the peace process, Mr. Pande said it had also broadly agreed to the same set of ground rules of the ceasefire and the arrangement with the group was confined only to the ceasefire.



Sharp criticism

However, the accord which was reached after several rounds of negotiations between the Centre’s representative, K. Padmanabhaiah and the NSCN(IM) leader, T. Muivah, has evoked sharp criticism from neighbouring states, particularly Assam and Manipur, whose territorial integrity has come under cloud. The NSCN(IM) is known to have bases in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh and their concerns relating to territorial integrity have been voiced by their Chief Ministers in the recent past.

The newly installed Congress government in Assam has strongly opposed the Centre’s decision to extend the ceasefire with the NSCN(IM) without territorial limits. A government statement said extending the ceasefire to all states in the region without taking into consideration the views of the Governments concerned was strongly opposed by the Congress government in Assam. “This unilateral decision may result in escalation of insurgent activities in Assam.”

The state of Manipur which came under President’s Rule recently following political crisis observed a total bandh (work stoppage) on June 16 to protest the extension of the ceasefire to Manipur. Effigies of Prime Minsiter Vajpayee and the Government representative K. Padmanabhaiah were burnt in the capital city of Imphal by activists of the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU). A meeting was held at the office of the All Manipur United Clubs Organisation which was attended by representatives of 83 organisations and elders of all tribes and communities. The participants decided to launch protests and court arrests and called upon all Members of the Legislative Assembly to tender their resignations.

The situation in the state was so tense that the Governor, Mr. Ved Prakash Marwah, reviewed the law and order situation with top officials of the security forces. A red alert had also been sounded in the Naga-populated areas.

Terming the extension as “step-motherly treatment”, the State Assembly Speaker, Mr. S. Dhananjoy, who was reportedly behind the recent political crisis which brought the downfall of Samata Party-led Koijam Ministry, said though the Assembly had been kept under suspended animation, the Centre should have consulted all the 60 MLAs. At a meeting organised in the Assembly complex on June 15, he said that all the MLAs were prepared to resign en masse in protest against the ceasefire extension.

The strong opposition in Manipur to the ceasefire extension stems out of the fear that the extension will be made use of demanding the creation of Greater Nagaland.

The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) opposed the move and blamed the National Democratic Alliance government in New Delhi for creating problems in the region. The MPCC chief, Mr. Okram Ibobi Singh said the party would take up the issue with the high command to exert pressure on the Centre to retract its decision.

Reports of similar protests have also come in from Arunachal Pradesh.



Centre firm on ceasefire extension

Notwithstanding the reservations voiced in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre is firm on going ahead with the June 14 ceasefire extension accord with the NSCN(IM). It does not share the apprehensions being voiced by these states. This was conveyed to the new Assam Chief Minister, Mr. Tarun Gogoi, who called on the Home Minister L.K. Advani in New Delhi on June 16 and also met senior Home Ministry officials.

In an unusual note of dissent, Mr. Chaoba Singh, Minister of State for Food Process Industries in the Vajpayee Cabinet, demanded withdrawal of extension of the ceasefire with the NSCN(IM) in Manipur and in other areas of the North East. In a letter written to the Home Minister L.K. Advani, he pointed out that NDA’s common minimum programme had made a commitment to the territorial integrity of Manipur and other North Eastern states. The extension of Naga ceasefire to other states negates this commitment.

Mr. Singh who is also the president of the Manipur State Congress Party (C), has also written to the NDA convener, Mr. George Fernandes, demanding an urgent meeting of the alliance to discuss the extension of the ceasefire and its ramifications. Mr. Fernandes who had recently threatened to reconsider his Samata Party’s continuation in the NDA following BJP’s attempt to form government in Manipur after the downfall of the Koijam Ministry, has also criticised the extension of Naga ceasefire to other states.