From bang bang to hush hush
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 16, 2012 -
Even as the 20-member delegation of Joint Legislators Forum (JLF) headed by Speaker of Nagaland Legislative Assembly Kiyaneilie Peseyie is currently in the National capital to meet Central leaders for a 'last combined effort' of giving yet another push to the Government of India for expediting the Naga peace talk process so that an 'honourable solution' could be arrived at before the next Assembly election in Nagaland due in March next year, a National daily has come up with a report claiming it to be a 'breakthrough' in the Naga peace process.
According to the report, Government of India has secured a written commitment from NSCN (IM) that the latter accepts the Indian Constitution and recognizes the impracticality of redrawing the State boundaries in the interest of peace in the Northeast.
The report went on to say that this means the Government of India can now look at thrashing out a final settlement with neighbouring states of Nagaland like Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, which have been opposed to the demand for formation of a Greater Nagalim by including their territories.
On its part, the Government of India has accepted the condition that it will ensure Naga people enjoy certain special rights, especially in the three neighbouring states were Nagas are in minorities.
In order words, the success of the peace process will depend to a great degree on the extent to which the Government of India is able to deliver in terms of a special set of rights for the Naga people.
However, this 'breakthrough' report has caused more confusion in the minds of the people on either side of the great divide over Greater Nagaland demand.
Of course, talks of a possible settlement over the vexed Naga issues has been doing the round for quite some time now and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde himself had recently indicated that a solution is likely before March next year and the Centre is talking with Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur for a consensus on the steps relating to the welfare of Nagas living in the two States.
As expected, the disclosure of Union Home Minister, who nonetheless did not specify whether the Chief Ministers of the two States were agreeable to the proposal of the Centre, has evoked strong reaction from influential social organizations like UCM and AMUCO here.
Contending that the statement of the Union Home Minister was 'pregnant with meanings', these social organizations have also exerted pressures on Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh to come out with an explanation to the people on the meeting with the Union Home Minister last week.
As NSCN (IM) has not yet come out with any official statement over the issue nor the Government of India has spelled out the matter with more clarity, the reigning confusion in the minds of the people on either side of the great divide over Greater Nagaland is becoming more palpable, which, of course, is not a good sign.
If NSCN (IM) has indeed given any written commitment to the Government of India after waging an armed movement against India for decades and then entering into peace talks for 15 long years, many Nagas would surely feel it as a great led down, but it should have the guts to admit so as to leave no room for confusion and hatred among the people instead of maintaining stoic silence.
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