Reflections on the fourth Naga peace agreement
- Part 4 -

Lt Col (Retd) M Ranjit Singh *

There was a "cease fire" in Nagaland w.e.f. September 6, 1964. During the "cease fire" period there were six Rounds of Peace talks through a Peace Mission. In January 1965, Charles Pawsey, DC of Naga Hills District including the years of Second World War, visited Kohima. He was of the view that by getting statehood Nagas had got everything possible and spoke very strongly against "Independence" demand of Nagas.

The Peace talks continued for Ninth Round. In the meantime the underground activity came to Manipur for the first time at Tolloi on August 5, 1965 when activists of Naga Federal Government led by R. Suisha detained a Manipur Police team of one ASI, two Head Constables and three unarmed Constables. The underground leaders had sixth further peace talks between February 1966 and October 1967 with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to bring a lasting peace in Nagaland but it failed.

B.K. Nehru was sworn in as the new Governor of Nagaland on April 18, 1968. A meeting was held at Dimapur on April 20, 1968 between the underground leaders and Peace Observer Group. The Governor inaugurated the conference. The Governor later clearly explained that Naga territories were part of India and it was not possible to permit them to secede because once any portion of India was permitted to separate from the Union, the entire Union would collapse.

To keep Nagaland within the Indian Union was a matter of survival for India. It would, therefore, not count the cost in men or money. The Governor on July 17, 1968 said in Manipur that "there will be no peace talks between the Government of India and the underground Nagas."

Aftermath of Shillong Accord: Split of NSCN and Peace Talks

The second General elections in Nagaland were completed successfully in February 1969 after the full terms of 5 years of the Assembly. Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi visited Kohima on September 24, 1969. She was given a rousing reception by about 15,000 at the Kohima playground. The violent activities of the underground continued till the signing of Shillong Peace Agreement on November 11, 1975 between the Governor of Nagaland, L. P. Singh, representing the Government of India and five Representatives of the underground. The five representatives of the underground were I. Temjenba(Ao), S Dahru(Mao), M Assa(Angami), Z. Ramyo (Tangkhul) and Keviyallay (Angami).

When the Shillong Agreement was signed a batch of about 140 underground Nagas under the leadership of Isac Swu and T Muivah were returning from China with arms after prolonged training. They were not aware of the discussion or the agreement. NSCN was later formed on January 31, 1980 by Isak Chusi Swu, Thuingaleng Muivah and S. S. Khaplang opposing the Shillong Accord. They have never accepted statehood or the Shillong Agreement. The above history of Naga politics is entirely based on the book on Naga by Shri M Ramuny.

NSCN was further split into two factions on April 30, 1988; the NSCN- IM led by Isak Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah; and NSCN –K, led by SS Khaplang, a Huimi Naga from Burma. It is believed that during the split many Tangkhul girls from Ukhrul were kept forcibly by NSCN-K. The period after the split till the signing of Cease-fire with the Government of India in August 1997 was full of violence and clashes between the two groups. During the cease fire period, peace talks have been going on between the Naga leaders and the Government of India.

NSCN-K, however, walked off the Peace talks on March 27, 2015. Finally as mentioned earlier, a Peace Agreement was signed between the Government of India and NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015 and as a consequence NSCN-K has since been declared as an unlawful organization. This is the status as on today.

Reaching into the Unknown, Uncertain about the Outcome

The leaders of both factions of NSCN are now catching up with their ages and if news report are to be believed, two of them are at present in hospitals; Issac Swu in a Hospital at Delhi undergoing dialysis and Khaplang in a Rangoon Hospital under treatment for a serious ailment. Issac Swu and T. Muivah of NSCN-IM claiming not being Indians but have all along been travelling with Indian passports were selling the dreams of amalgamation of all Naga inhabited areas into Nagaland and secession from India as a free and sovereign country to all Nagas.

The Government of India had earlier not agreed on this issue. The Governor of Nagaland and the Interlocutor of the recent Peace Talk also have recently said that there was no question of Sovereignty of Nagaland in the agreement. The leaders of NSCN-IM now knowing the futility of chasing their own created dreams of independence may have signed the recent peace treaty just to save their faces. (These leaders are advised to read the history of failed secession of Biafra from Nigeria).

As their dream of independence is not going to materialize, they may now resort to raising the issue of amalgamation of contiguous Naga inhabited areas into Nagaland in a vehement way. This is where all Manipuris must unite and stand together against the breaking up of long standing historical boundary of Manipur just to appease few Nagas. All of us must remember that such demands made on similar line in other states of India have not materialized. The living examples are that of Jammu and Kashmir, Vidarba in Maharastra and Belgaum in Karnataka.

However, in Manipur, the empty shout of "not allowing an inch of Manipur land being given to other state" by few politicians at Imphal will not do.

The elected leaders of Imphal valley who have rarely gone to hills must now reach out to all our brethren in hills. They must physically visit the interiors of all hill areas of Manipur and interact with them to know the tough condition under which they survive at this modern age and made an honest effort to improve the quality of lives of the Nagas.

I have seen people in Tamenglong district during the height of Naga Kuki clash travelling for 15 kms just to buy a kilogram of salt. I have also met people from Siroi village walking to Ukhrul to buy few kilograms of rice during the month of June when their reserves of paddy from previous harvest have finished. It is really tough for common men to survive in the hills.

The road communications of hill districts have not been improved as it should be due to sheer negligence of the Government. The valley people being the majority community have to do some sacrifices to accommodate the feelings of the hill men.

It is high time for the elected leaders of the hill districts to stop playing minority card indiscriminately and start playing a major role for development of their districts. The habit of sticking to Imphal for all the year round and going to their constituencies only for the election purpose do not serve the cause of their friends in the hills.

I strongly feel all important issues of the Manipur State need not always be discussed at Imphal only. The meetings of such discussions could be held at different hill districts as it will give a sense of participation of all people in the effort for the progress of the State. The need of the hour is to work together by all of us to save the integrity of Manipur

If God forbid, I say God forbid, the Government of India still decide to break the boundary of Manipur as a part of the Peace Agreement then I can only venture to think of the statement made by the nuclear scientists of USA on July 16, 1945 just before the trial explosion of Atomic bomb at New Mexico, "We were reaching into the unknown and we did not know what might come of it".

Concluded...