Whither Naga Peace? Special session of Parliament !!

Nirendra Dev *

The northeastern state of Nagaland will be hoping against hope that a miracle may happen and the Prime Minister may say something on Naga peace talks. The parleys either stand stalled on lame excuses or have been derailed to the extent that no one is serious enough to bring it back on track.

The stalemate has made the people of Nagaland state appear helpless and frustrated. The fact of the matter is people have almost given up. As of now there is hardly any meeting point between NSCN-IM and the Govt of India.

The militant organisation that came with so much fanfare for initiating peace process in 199 during the stint of I K Gujral as PM, now says they want a separate flag and a separate Naga constitution. For obvious reasons the demands have been rejected by the centre more than once.

"Woh baat nahi karna (Let us not talk about these demands)", Home Minister Amit Shah had reportedly told a delegation of Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio and state legislators and ministers in September 2022.

However, even as late as August 14, 2023, NSCN-IM general secretary and influential leader Thuingalang Muivah has said that the twin demands stand. Some discussions - formal and informal - took place between government's emissary A K Mishra and NSCN-IM leaders including Muivah even after Aug 14; but there is no forward movement it seems.

On the other hand, the NNPG leader N Kitovi Zhimomi, whose umbrella organisation has been keen for inking a peace pact since 2019 if not earlier, finds things frustrating. The impression being the NSCN-IM and the Govt of India are not sincere for a solution or signing of any peace pact.

Kitovi: Angry or Confused?

At the Sept 12, 2022 meeting, Amit Shah and officials of the centre told the Naga delegation that they were approaching the "wrong man" when chief minister Rio and others were trying to impress upon the government of India on the need to "expedite" the peace process. Rio heads a coalition regime with BJP as its key partner. But the state government has not able to do much to help put the talks on 'genuinely faster track'.

In last year's meeting, the reference was also made to the recent data revealed by the National Crime Bureau which said that the state of Nagaland tops the list of states for extortion and related offences. "People are fed up with extortion in the name of peace processfor the last so many years," was a refrain of several Naga leaders.

The Home Minister, however, told the visiting Naga delegation, "You ask for anything else, we are there with you". According to sources some of these 'crystal clear assertions' from the centre at the Sept 12, 2022 meeting had left the Nagaland delegation dumbfounded at times.

One member among the 11-member panel led by Chief Minister Rio had told the central leaders and officials on Monday (Sept 12) - "Next time, when we go, we will request them". This was strongly countered by the centre and reportedly came the snub - "What request...no request !".

Observers say the message from New Delhiin other words being - better get the work done. But not much has happened on ground.

Elections took place in February and Rio-led NDPP-BJP alliance again returned to power with a 'bigger mandate' for Rio's NDPP; but the pro-solution and peace peace pact stakeholders are hardly enthusiastic.

In June this year following Kuki-Meitei violence in Manipur, as many as 10 Naga legislators from Manipur have dissociated themselves from the demand of a 'separate administration' for tribals by the Kukis. They said, "Naga areas should not be touched" if at all any such arrangement is made.

These triggered debate on the prospects of Naga peace talks and even so-called Naga unity. "We the Nagas have been trying to go forward on a back gear and perhaps we are soon about to reach the station called: “Solution? What Solution?”," says retired IAS officer Khekiye K Sema questioning the very rationale of ongoing Naga peace talks.

"To add salt to the wound, it appears that our Tangkhul brothers have finally shown their true character by openly joining hands with the Meiteis in a time like this… vowing to jointly safeguard Manipur’s territorial integrity," he wrote in an article published in local newspapers.

He also questioned, " Are the Nagas of Nagaland awake to this recent development? For all practical purposes the NSCN (IM) is a Tangkhul outfit".

The developments are significant. The Nagas of Manipur have shown preference to status quo arrangement with the Manipur state. Moreover, during violence between Meiteis and Kukis, there have been no untoward incidents between Meiteis and Nagas.

In fact, analysts also say that the efforts by Kukis to enlist the support of Nagas of Manipur in their demand for a separate administration did not enthuse Nagas showing their clear preference to stick to age-old friendship with the Meiteis.

The NSCN-IM, consisting largely of Tangkhul Naga cadres and leadership under a Tangkhul Naga Thuingaleng Muivah has been insisting for 'greater Nagaland' or Nagalim in their parleys with the Government of India. The centre has earlier rejected the demand stating that no compromise will be entertained to impact the territorial integrity of states such as Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.