Nothing new, but something new : The lucidity of the haziness
- Sangai Express Editorial :: December 12 , 2013 -

Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry and in-charge of the North East, Mr Shambhu Singh did not say anything new in stating that due consultations with all the stakeholders in hammering out a solution to the NSCN (IM)-Government of India talk is indispensable.

This is something much in line with what former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said at Kohima many years back that a consensus of all the neighbouring States is needed to come to a final settlement with the NSCN (IM).

What was new however was that the charter of demands put up by the NSCN (IM) before the Centre would be placed before the Governments of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

Another 'new' was the admission of the official that the NSCN (IM) presented their charter of demands before Delhi only two years back, that is in 2011. If one takes this into consideration then the popular perception that the political dialogue between the Naga rebel group and the Government of India has dragged on for more than a decade falls flat on its face.

An admission which has today come out in the public domain courtesy the exclusive interaction between Mr Shambhu Singh and The Sangai Express.

Only two years old and maybe it may not amount to shooting in the dark if one were to venture out and say that an immediate solution may not be at hand.

A clear case that ceasefire pact and actually sitting down on the negotiating table are poles apart.

A point which has already been stressed upon by the KNO, one of the umbrella organisations of the Kuki armed groups, which is under the SoO pact.

Clearly the politics of peace process can be dicey as well as confusing at times, and view this against the backdrop of 'real politiks' and there can be no one defining line to scale the progress of the peace parley between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India.

A clear manifestation of the veil of 'secrecy' under which the political dialogue has been proceeding between the two entities.

And to be sure, total absence of transparency can only give rise to uncertainty, confusion and suspicion, which will only go on to add fuel to the already charged atmosphere in the region, especially Manipur.

The United Naga Council has already sounded the call for a 48 hour bandh from midnight of December 12 along National Highway 37, ostensibly to protest the remark of Mr Shambhu Singh that the Alternative Arrangement demand put up by the UNC is 'quite hazy'.

Again, a response to a remark quoted by The Sangai Express during an exclusive talk with the official on December 9. This is not an endorsement of the Alternative Arrangement.

This also not an endorsement of the 48 hours bandh.

But it has been the consistent stand of The Sangai Express that it is only the UNC which has been clear on what the Alternative Arrangement is all about, while Imphal and Delhi have been dodging the issue, using clever words.

Given the type of politics that Delhi can play with the people of the region, it should not come as a surprise that even after holding the 6th round of tripartite talk between Delhi, Imphal and the UNC, Mr Shambhu Singh had the conviction to say that demand for Alternative Arrangement is still 'quite hazy'.

This is a point which has already been commented in this column on more than one occasion.

If the issue is still 'quite hazy' even after the 6th round of talk, then what is the meaning of holding the talk in the first place ?

What were the points discussed ?

This is not how issues as sensitive as the demand for an Alternative Arrangement should be dealt with.

If it is something which is not acceptable, then the Government of India and the State Government should have the gumption to say so.

Hard to digest that 6 rounds of talk have been held around an issue which is still 'quite hazy'.

Interesting too is the decision of the UNC to impose the bandh only along NH-37 leaving out NH-2.

Another face of the politics of bandh and blockade coming out in the open.