Nagaland poll solution or election
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 12, 2013 -
Announcement of election schedules for three North Eastern States including Nagaland by the Election Commission of India is exceedingly significant given the fact that the incumbent legislators were demanding solution, not election, obviously referring to the Indo-Naga political dialogue.
It was none other than Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde who stated that New Delhi was working to chalk out a solution to the decades old Naga issue. NSCN-IM's collective leadership too indicated on more than one occasion that a solution could be expected shortly.
What is rather interesting is the evolving situation where the statement of Sushil Kumar Shinde who represented the Government of India appears to be devoid of any meaning.
The Government of India may sweat day in and day out to come up with a solution to the Naga issue but it is unlikely that a lasting solution can be sealed before February 23, the day when Nagaland would go to poll.
Even as the Union Home Minister was talking about offering something to the NSCN-IM's collective leadership, no detail has been divulged about the offer.
Despite the huge stake the State of Manipur has in the Naga solution, the State Government or the Chief Minister has not been informed about the Centre's offer to NSCN-IM, according to information obtained by press from different official sources.
Assume it that due information was passed to the Government of Manipur. Even then, the offer should be acceptable to the people of Manipur.
Without informing what Manipur should offer, the Government of India cannot simply call the Chief Minister to New Delhi whimsically and cajole him into submission.
Negotiations in such secretive nature can never create conducive sitution where an amicable solution can be worked out to the Naga issue.
It is another matter, if the solution being worked out by the Government of India would not affect Manipur in any way. People in the whole North East have a nagging suspicion that the Government of India and NSCN-IM would certainly come up with a formula to bring the 15 years long political dialogue to an end which would in one way or another affect Naga inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Given such a situation, whatever formula and mechanism worked out by New Delhi and NSCN-IM need consent of the Governments of these three neighbouring states.
As Nagaland has been scheduled on February 23, it would be impossible to find a solution before the election unless New Delhi has some ulterior motive to wreck havoc in the whole North East region.
Nonetheless, one cannot miss the fact that political parties including Congress and Naga Hoho have written to the Prime Minister as well as the Election Commission of India to defer the Nagaland election.
They have been contending that it's time for solution not election. Enduring the issue of insurgency for decades is not an enviable situation.
People of Nagaland have suffered for a long time and lost thousands and thousands of life. It is for this reason every citizen in Nagaland is now craving for solution, a peaceful solution, to be more precise.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's statement that New Delhi was working to come up with a solution before the election sounded like a manna from the heaven to the wearied people of Nagaland.
However, it is unlikely that the hopes and expectation of the people can be realised before the election.
In another word, the Union Home Minister was playing with the sentiments of people. His statement, wittingly or unwittingly, has turned out to be bitter pills to the people of Nagaland, many of whom have been already blaming New Delhi for lack of sincerity.
New Delhi and for that matter the Union Minister must not act in ignorance or in haste. They must not promise anything which they cannot fulfil or give a timeline to something unconceived.
Otherwise, the mental and physical gap between North East and mainland would only widen.
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