Mizoram Accord for Nagaland?
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 29, 2014 -

Based on the proposal put forward by various central interlocutors who have come and gone during the 17-long years of protracted peace talks between the Government of India and the Isak-Muivah faction of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), it is interesting to know and learn that the two parties are looking at the possibility of working out a formula of the Mizoram Peace Accord-type to put an end to the decades old problem of insurgency in Nagaland as well.

According to a report published in the Indian Express on its May 28 edition, the proposal of a Mizoram Peace Accord-type of formula as put forward by various Central interlocutors appointed for the peace talks are being fine-tuned at the moment for submission to the newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh for necessary approval.

As as in the case of signing the Mizoram Peace Accord, following which the then Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, who was heading a Congress Government, resigned from the post to pave away for Mizo rebel leader Laldenga and his colleagues to take over power after facing the Assembly elections within six months, the report has hinted under the Mizoram Peace Accord-type formula being worked out for Nagaland, chairman of the Naga rebel group Isak Chishi Swu and not its general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, will become the chief minister of Nagaland, taking along some of his close followers in the Council of Ministers, and they too would to face fresh elections within six months of signing the accord.

The report has also made it clear that Neiphui Rio, who has all along been a strong votary of peaceful settlement to Nagaland's insurgency problem but resigned as the Chief Minister of Nagaland in the second year of his third term in office and got elected to the Lok Sabha recently, is going to play an important role in bringing the Naga rebel group and the Government of India together on the table for signing the accord.

And TR Zeliang, another strong votary of peaceful solution to Indo-Naga political problem, who has been chosen by Rio as his successor has to resign from the post to pave the way for assumption of power by the NSCN (IM) leaders in Nagaland after facing fresh elections.

With Neiphiu Rio in the National politics and TR Zeliang at the helm of Nagaland politics, it appears that things are definitely falling into places (to borrow the words of Naga People's Party).

But the multi-billion dollar question that everyone may like to ask as this stage is will Mizoram Peace Accord work for Nagaland as well?

The answer to this question would be a BIG no, simply because the tripartite Mizoram Peace Accord which was signed by then Union Home Secretary R.D. Pradhan, late Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Laldenga and then Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalkhama on June 30, 1986 worked they were dealing with a situation which was quite different from that of Nagaland.

The Mizoram Peace Accord formula may be thought of as the most effective solution that put an end to the two-decade old problem of insurgency in Mizoram, but making peace with NSCN (IM) alone is not going to ensure peace in Nagaland without taking into confidence of other factions of NSCN like that of SS Khaplang and Kholi-Kitovi groups on board.