Politics of dialogue, ceasefire : The peace conundrum
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: February 14, 2013 -

Peace has a price. And obviously no one knows this better than the people of the North East, where numerous armed groups have come overground and are engaged in peace parleys with the Government of India as well as with the respective State Governments.

Again it should be obvious that the price that one pays for peace is more a case of the politics of peace clouding terms like peace talk, ceasefire, suspension of operation, political dialogue etc.

Delhi, Imphal, the Army, the Assam Rifles, the State Police may crow about the peace initiatives yielding dividends, with a number of armed groups coming overground and signing pacts, left, right and centre, but in the midst of the back slapping exercise, what appears to have flown over the heads of these people is the fact that cessation of hostilities or the guns falling silent is not peace in the real sense of the term.

The ceasefire pact with the NSCN (IM) is over a decade and a half, but has this meant that the Naga people now lead a life free of apprehensions and uncertainties ?

If the guns have gone silent, then it has only gone silent between the cadres of the said outfit and the security forces.

Again, if peace has really prevailed in the areas covered by the cease fire pact, why is the Armed Forces Special Powers Act still in force in these places ?

A question which Delhi ought to answer, but of course will not answer for reasons which should be obvious to all. Political dialogue or negotiation is the term that is fast gaining currency.

But on whose behalf are the political dialogues with the different groups going to be held ?

On behalf of the people ? If the answer is yes, then should not the people be taken into confidence and told about what is being discussed or negotiated on their behalf ?

Or do these armed groups really represent the interest of the people ?

Basically simple questions, but made complex by the politics associated with peace in this region and clearly nothing could get more farcical than this. Intriguing ? Yes to a large extent.

Manipur is the prime example of reducing peace process or initiative to giving the license to the militant groups to throw their weight around and harass the common people.

Such a policy can only provide cannon fodder to the other armed groups which have refused to come to the negotiating table.

With numerous armed groups coming to the dialogue table, the people of Manipur should have experienced what is peace all about. However the ugly truth is people continue to lead a life of uncertainty.

Has the Government ever given a thought on why shops close according to the time the Sun sets in places where the active armed groups have joined the peace caravan ?

This is something far from the universal understanding of peace. Ironic it is.

Continue the process of militarising the place, continue with infamous Acts like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, but holler at the top of their voice that peace process is underway with numerous armed groups.

The hollowness of such claims cannot get more succinct than this. As things stand today, numerous armed groups are supposed to have come overground and process is underway to start political dialogues or negotiations with them.

However peace in its real essence is yet to catch on. One simple reason is the long rope given to the armed groups to continue with their agenda as long as they do not target the security forces.

Clearly the understanding of peace cannot get more warped than this. The recent rejection by the two factions of the NSCN in Nagaland not to move around with arms during election time says a lot.