NSCN – GOI Accord, an accord for peace or pain?
- Part 1 -

S Nongpoknganba Meitei *

Commemoration at TNL Ground, Ukhrul for Peace Accord- NSCN (IM) and GoI on August 10 2015 :: Pix - Sunzu Bachaspatimayum

It is certainly true that it is not possible to effectively comment on the Naga peace accord as the contents of the so called framework agreement which was signed on 3rd August' 2015 between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) has not been disclosed. In fact it is this secrecy which is shrouding the agreement which is impaling the hearts of all Manipuris sans pro-NagalimNagas with the fear of disintegration of Manipur.

We have seen the Great Uprising of 18th June which has claimed the lives of 18 persons when the phrase "without territorial limit" was added to the ceasefire agreement. But now with the signing of the framework agreement and literally "classifying" such agreement as "Top secret" and the NSCN supremoMuivah and his coterie V.S. Atem claiming that Sovereignty and Nagalim are still on the table, the situation is far grimmer than the "without territorial limit" and it is more so when the central Government may be ready to take a few pains to meet the agenda of "Act east Policy" which in fact is not only economic in nature as NE is India's gateway to ASEAN and its fringe countries but also having far reaching security implication.

Also North east is a land filled with unexploited riches and India needs it for feeding its rapidly increasing economic expansion and further undoubtedly North east India is India's most militarily strategic bulwark to the mainland and a counter to any Chinese threat. Hence North East is indispensably important to the Indian scheme of things.

Given this present position it has become for us all the more necessary to decipher any related items in regard to the agreement which come in public domain, howsoever miniscule and bleak that may be. And this article is a humble tryst to this effect by taking into consideration the various reports that has surfaced in the media particularly electronic.

Attaching much importance to solving the issue of Naga insurgency, the Hon'ble Prime Minister has reportedly remarked after signing the agreement, "Since becoming prime minister last year, peace, security and economic transformation of North East has been amongst my highest priorities. It is also at the heart of my foreign policy, especially the 'Act East' Policy.

I have been deeply concerned about resolving the Naga issue. Soon after entering office, I appointed an interlocutor for talks with the Naga leaders, who not only understood the Naga people as also their aspirations and expectations, but has great affection and respect for them. Given the importance of this initiative, I asked my office to supervise these talks and I personally kept in touch with the progress."

This speech of him has at least four clicking points viz., (1) Peace and security of the North East in particular and India as a whole, (2) Economic transformation of the region which will help in furthering the economic expansion of the country beyond national boundaries (3) Foreign policy towards the ASEAN and its peripheral countries having a direct link to China policy by pushing "Act East policy" and (4) Achievement of these triple objective through the instrumentalities of R.N. Ravi who according to the Prime Minister is a person who not only understood the Naga people as also their aspirations and expectations, but has great affection and respect for them.

Notably further after signing the pact, the Hon'ble Prime Minister has said that "Today, to the leaders and the people of Nagaland, I say this: You will not only build a bright future for Nagaland, but your talents, traditions and efforts will also contribute to making the nation stronger, more secure, more inclusive and more prosperous. You are also the guardians of our eastern frontiers and our gateway to the world beyond."

In response to such confidence reposed by New Delhi, Muivah, after signing the pact has said, "On behalf of the Naga people allow me to assure you once again that Nagas can be trustworthy and take into your confidence for any policy in the Northeast and beyond the frontiers." The embossed phrase seen in the speeches of these two leaders is "Eastern frontiers and gateway to the world beyond / North east and beyond the frontiers". This bonhomie therefore seemingly have "targets beyond the national boundaries".

It is a fact that NSCN (IM) was the first group from the North east to make the first contact with the Chinese and she has been the most powerful insurgent groups waging the longest insurgency against a powerful government in Asia and correctly she has been called too as the mother of all insurgent groups in the North east and being so, New Delhi has considered NSCN (IM) as a treasure trove of intelligence regarding insurgency and the tie of the insurgent groups with the Chinese.

Further there are Burmese Naga MPs to Nepidaw and it is likely that New Delhi may also exploit such a situation through NSCN albeit with some hiccups. Further the pact is also all the more necessary to New Delhi with the establishment of the new umbrella group called United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW) formed by NSCN(K), United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa-Independent), National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Songbijit (NDFB-S) and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), which has recently carried out the major terror attack in Manipur in June this year, reportedly with the blessing of Beijing, which triggered Indian military operation in Myanmar soon thereafter.

Thus New Delhi after having reposed so much faith on NSCN, it is unlikely that the Central Government will dither in giving away to NSCN something which is near Nagalim if not Nagalim itself. And to be able so to do the Hon'ble Prime Minister has already mustered enough strength by reportedly talking to several leaders of various parties including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge, S P chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, BSP's Mayawati, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and CPI(M)'s general secretary Sitaram Yechury, He also spoke to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa besides the Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Acharya and Chief Minister TR Zeliang and a host of civil society organisations of the Nagas.

He also even called up DMK leader M Karunanidhi and JD(S) leader HD DeveGowda while ironically but understandably, he has not spoken to any of the three chief ministers of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, whose interest is to be affected directly. At the same time, ruling PDP of Jammu and Kashmir has openly supported such an agreement by welcoming "the historic peace accord" and saying similar approach is needed in Kashmir.

PDP chief spokeperson Mehboob Beg had said, "The Prime Minister using the words, "we will not only try to heal wounds and resolve problems, but also be your partner as you restore your pride and prestige" was a ray of hope for the Kashmiris" and he impressed upon the Centre to adopt a similar approach for Kashmir. Therefore the NaMo Government at the centre having absolute support from the parliament under any circumstances will not compromise his stand to save Manipur from being disintegrated, if, according to his mathematics, such disintegration is a sine qua non to earn his mark.

May be the disintegration process takes effect slowly with moves taken calculatedly, may be it takes another ten, twenty years, but undoubtedly it is happening. True the Centre has said that the agreement is only a framework and it is not redrawing the present boundaries of the states and while giving a final shape to the agreement, the three states whose lands are being claimed by NSCN shall be consulted.

However a PIB release of 3rd August says that the Government of India recognized the unique history, culture and position of the Nagas and their sentiments and aspiration and the NSCN as having understood and appreciated the Indian Political system and governance. The meaning is that the Government of India is ready to do as per the history and position of the Nagas as propounded by them and to protect and upheld the sentiments and aspirations of the Nagas based on such Naga propounded history and position in total exclusion of the correct history as has prevailed.

And as a quid pro quo NSCN is ready to give up their call for sovereignty and accept only autonomy but of the highest form as is permissible under the Constitution of India for all the Nagas who are contiguously residing in the four states of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and further to be exploited by New Delhi in pushing its North East and Act east policies.

To be continued..