How will it impact on the peace process? NSCN (K) in talk mode
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: December 25 2020 -
It is getting interesting.
Even as the political dialogue between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India seems to have hit a roadblock, with the outfit sticking to its demand for a separate Naga flag and Constitution, comes the decision of the NSCN (K) to unilaterally announce a ceasefire and to contact New Delhi to initiate a peace dialogue.
More than sure that the latest decision of the NSCN (K) must have come after minutely studying the ongoing peace process between New Delhi and the NSCN (IM) and the peace process with the NNPGs and this is where it becomes significant.
The stand of the NSCN (K) has not been spelt out, but it would be interesting to see where it stands on the demand for a separate Naga flag and a separate Constitution as well as on the demand that all Naga inhabited areas of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur be brought under one single administrative unit.
Whatever however is clear is that before the outfit abrogated the peace pact in 2015, it had never raised the demand for Naga integration.
How things unfold is something which only time will tell, but the interesting question is how much the decision of the NSCN (K) to reenter the peace process will impact on the dialogue going on between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India.
If the NSCN (K) sticks to a line similar with the NNPGs, then such a position will only muddy the prospect of the NSCN (IM).
Another interesting point is, how the NSCN (IM) has taken the decision of the NSCN (K) to re-enter the peace process.
There is no love lost between the two outfits and the North East region knows the ugly development that came about after the NSCN split into the NSCN (K) and the NSCN (IM) in 1988.
Everyone also knows how the trio of Thuingaleng Muivah, Isak Chisi Swu and SS Khaplang broke away from the NNC after the Shillong Accord of 1975 and later formed the NSCN in 1980.
Will the re-entry of the NSCN (K) strengthen the case of New Delhi in its negotiations with the NSCN (IM) is a question that must have already been raised amongst those who have been closely following the political negotiations between the two parties.
Most unlikely that the NSCN (IM) and the NSCN (K) would strike a similar stand in its political negotiations, but then again nothing can be said to be final, for the politics of the guns and the underground movements may be fraught with twists and turns.
Conscious of the overwhelming sentiments of the Naga people for an early solution, is one reason the NSCN (K) has cited for re-entering the peace process, but the more interesting part would be to ask, what was it that ultimately led them to decide to come back to the peace process.
This question may remain unanswered, but to the people of Nagaland the move of the NSCN (K) must have been seen as a positive development, for no final solution can be complete without taking all on board.
And the NSCN (K) is definitely an important player in the armed movement of Nagaland.
With the NSCN (K) on board, will this mean taking back the political dialogue to the starting point all over again, thereby nullifying the progress that the Centre has made with the NSCN (IM) and the NNPGs is another question that is relevant and cannot be dismissed with just a wave of the hand.
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