Ruling out sovereignty, integration : What is to be given ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 09 2018 -
Sovereignty out. Quiet burial to Nagalim or integration call.
That is if one goes by what Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju has had to say.
The interesting question is, will such a model be acceptable to the NSCN (IM) or what will be offered in place of the two principal demands that the outfit has been putting up for years ?
It was more or less an accepted point that sovereignty is something which would not be discussed or entertained the moment the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) agreed to ink the ceasefire agreement and come to the negotiating table in 1997.
What was widely understood to have been put up in place of sovereignty was Naga integration or Nagalim as espoused and championed by the NSCN (IM) and which was quickly taken up by all the Naga civil society organisations, particularly the United Naga Council in Manipur.
Now that a person no less than the MoS for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju has come out to publicly state that the final pact with the NSCN (IM) will not affect the territories of the neighbouring States, what else would be offered to make up for this ?
Important to question too whether the alternatives offered to the NSCN (IM) will be acceptable to the people of the neighbouring States, particularly Manipur.
What can be offered ? While this is up to New Delhi and the leadership of the NSCN (IM) and leaders of the six NNPGs to deliberate and come to a meeting point, it is also important for all to come to the point that something has to be given to the NSCN (IM).
What is that something that will or can be given and will it be acceptable to the people of the neighbouring States ?
This is where the different CSOs of the three neighbouring States need to be taken into confidence before any final deal is struck.
The Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015 could be anything, ranging from an exhaustive points or just a framework or a guideline to which the agreed points will be included.
Given the secrecy in which the agreement has been kept, it has only added more gist to speculations to do the round and as stated earlier in this column many times, unfounded talks can only lead to more confusion and suspicion among the people who are on either side of the Lim divide.
Given the manner in which Kiren Rijiju laid down the points during the foundation day of the BJP at Guwahati on April 6, it may be assumed that the talks between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India is proceeding well and a final pact may see the light of day any time in the future.
This is where all the stake holders need to come to the reality that a certain degree of give and take will have to be there.
Something has to be given to the NSCN (IM) and the important question is whether what is to be given will be acceptable to the people of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
It is also important to question whether the Naga people will accept what is to be given when the final deal is struck.
A solution without hurting the interests of anyone and here it becomes important to study what the interests of the people of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are.
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