The Hebron fiasco and its spillover
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 24, 2012 -

The sometime sweet and more often than not sour relationship between NSCN (IM) and Assam Rifles throughout the over 15 years long peace talk between the Naga rebel group and the Government of India has once again come to the fore in the form of the latest standoff over 'capturing' of five armed Assam Rifles jawans, who allegedly strayed close to Camp Hebron, the outfit's council headquarters located 35 kms off Dimapur in the morning of April 19.

NSCN (IM) claims that it has been forced to detain the trespassing Assam Rifles Jawans as their conduct was in violation of the ceasefire ground rules.

The outfit maintained that the trespassing could have never been done by mistake but it was a deliberate attempt to test its reaction. NSCN (IM) leaders have also alleged that the violation of ceasefire ground rules was a 'pre-planned' move by Assam Rifles in order to restrict the movement of NSCN (IM) cadres in Nagaland.

On the other hand, Assam Rifles has retaliated by intensifying frisking operations and putting up 'checking point' in all the approach roads to Hebron Camp.

Though the five Assam Rifles jawans were subsequently released following the intervention of the Centre's representative and Chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group Maj. Gen. N. George in the evening of the same day, the standoff is far from over.

The Naga rebel outfit has declined to hand over the seized weapons on the insistent that the said weapons would be handed over in exchange for the arms confiscated from NSCN (IM) cadres by Assam Rifles in the last few days.

As the two sides have not budged from their respective positions, the rising tension has spread beyond Camp Hebron with security forces cordoning off other designated camps of NSCN (IM) in Nagaland and Manipur as well.

People in Manipur are seeing large number of security personnel moving in and taking positions around the NSCN (IM) camps in Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel districts since the following day of Camp Hebron incident.

Interestingly, the ceasefire agreement signed between the Naga rebel group and the Government of India is supposed to remain confined within Nagaland and the Government of India had time and again denied existence of any designated camps of NSCN (IM) inside the territory of Manipur.

This is despite the fact that the Assam Rifles had taken note over existence of such camps in Manipur in the wake of similar confrontation with the Naga rebel group at Siroy in Ukhrul district in 2009.

Yes, there may be no officially declared designated camps of NSCN (IM) in Manipur territory; but it is no secret that there are NSCN (I-M) camps in the Naga majority four hill districts of Manipur namely Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel.

Some of the commonly known NSCN (I-M) camps are at Oklong in Senapati, Buning and Khoupum in Tamenglong, Bhungjang in Chandel and Grihang in Ukhrul district.

Such deliberate acts of denial on the part of Government of India over existence of designated camps of NSCN (IM), whether official or unofficial, have only come to reaffirm the apprehension of the people over its sincerity over peace talk initiatives to end the problem of insurgency in the North East without taking into confidence of all concerned.

It's no wonder peace parleys with NSCN (IM) has been going on for over 15 years now without any tangible solution in sight.