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Why Nagaland leaders united to support early settlement of peace talks

Politicians join forces in bid for more clarity and unity on peace talk progress

A poster with a Naga flag is seen on the entrance of a shop in Kohima | AP A poster with a Naga flag is seen on the entrance of a shop in Kohima | AP

Nagaland's political leadership has united on the cause of peace, agreeing to ratify any decision taken by the government and the surrendered militants following peace talks.

Nagaland Governor R. Ravi, who is also the interlocutor of the peace talks between the government of India and the surrendered Naga insurgent groups led by NSCN(IM), recently met union home minister Amit Shah and discussed the security and boundary issues of Nagaland and Manipur. Talks were at a stalemate due to Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh's opposition to the merger of Naga inhabited areas with Nagaland to create a greater Nagalim. The groups, engaged in the talks led by NSCN (IM), have made it clear to Governor Ravi that under no circumstances would they step back from their position on the merger of all Naga inhabited parts of the Northeast, which includes parts of Arunachal Pradesh along with Manipur and a small portion in Assam.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, deputy chief minister Y. Patton and several other leaders today are meeting with Assam chief minister and convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Himanta Biswa Sarma at Guwahati to streamline the possible solution of the Naga peace talks.

The joining of 26 MLAs of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) with the NDDP-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA), where the BJP is also a partner, will create a new reorganisation of the government in Nagaland. This has become crucial at this juncture when NPF is being considered very soft to NSCN (IM) and it had been criticising Ravi and the union government for conducting “clueless and aimless” talks for around 25 years.

While UNDPP has 18 MLAs, BJP is part of the PDA with 12 MLAs. NPP and JDU with two MLAs each are also part of the alliance.

Former chief ministers and NPF leaders, T.R. Zeiland and Surhozeli Lizitsu, used to aggressively oppose the talks and have often lashed out at the Narendra Modi government for passing no information relating to talks to them.

Their inclusion has become very important given Ravi’s report to the union government where he suggested that the talks had been over and now the decision would have to be arrived at by the government of India.

“Yes, that is what the interlocutor has told us even. He said the talks are over in 2019 and now the government of India would have to take the final call. What call has to be taken is still unknown to us,” said Alem Jamir, working president of the NDPP, the ruling alliance.

Jamir, former chief secretary of Nagaland, said that the people of Nagaland were fed up. He said the joining of opposition MLAs with the ruling dispensation with no conditions sends a solid statement to the government of India, as it shows that no one wishes to continue with their political activities unless there is a fruitful result of the dialogue.

“By making the assembly opposition free, we (all the political parties) have sent a signal to the government of India that we are ready to withdraw from the government once the decision on peace talks is accepted as a permanent settlement. This government would then be replaced by the people who are talking with the interlocutor,” Jamir told THE WEEK from Kohima.

But the talks are not going to be easy as NSCN (IM) has told THE WEEK that it would never compromise with its demand of shared sovereignty with Indian government.

“We joined the peace talks only after former prime ministers of India assured us of giving shared sovereignty as part of the settlement,” C.T. Son, a senior leader of the NSCN(IM) said.

Jamir accepted the fact that it would be difficult for the interlocutor to find permanent solutions as they are talking with NSCN(IM) and six other groups separately.

“Also the NSCN (K—Nikki-Sumi) faction recently broke away from the NSCN(K) and joined the talks which NSCN(IM) did not like. I don’t know how the interlocutor will compile all different demands and arrive at a conclusion,” said Jamir.

But, as he said, the political parties in Nagaland have decided to strengthen the hands of the BJP government in Delhi.

“There would not be various voices coming out once the centres would inform us about the decisions arrived. If we need to oppose then we will oppose in one voice. If we need to accept that we would accept in one voice,” said the ruling party working president in Nagaland.

Sources said what made chief minister Neiphiu Rio allow the merger is that even he is unaware of the progress of the talks.

Has the chief minister been informed about the progress of the talks?

Jamir laughed and said it was “very difficult to know".

"Now on we will make our voice stronger in Nagaland. Central government needs to and has to inform us about the progress," he said.

It is not yet decided how many ministries the NPF would get after joining the PDA ruling alliance in Nagaland. But, surprisingly, the Congress has been left out in the alliance. It does not have any MLA in the assembly. But what about the voice outside?

“Their voices would not be heard as they don’t have a mass base anymore,” said Jamir.

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