By : Oken Jeet Sandham
Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s keenness to resolve Naga political issue cannot be questioned. It was he who had invited the “collective leadership” of the NSCN-IM to visit New Delhi and also allowed them to visit Nagaland to have a wider discussion with leaders of various civil societies. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his Cabinet colleagues, leaders of other political parties and even Naga politicians from neighboring States held discussions with Isak Chishi Swu and Th Muivah of the organization in their Camp Hebron. This is a big achievement on the part of the organization as they needed to study the environment on the ground and Prime Minister Singh had been certainly credited for this.
Prime Minister Singh has again gone further by fulfilling the demand of the NSCN-IM that the bureaucratic-level talks which were a mere get together to keep the ceasefire alive had been upgraded to the level of “political one” by constituting a Ministerial Team headed by Union Minister Oscar Fernandez. In fact, Indian interlocutor K Padmanabaiah to the Center-NSCN (IM) peace talks played crucial role in striking balance even in the face of severe criticisms for spelling out about the talks. He was vehemently condemned and even called him as a mere government servant who knew nothing about the Naga political issue and at times he had to retract his statements. Many doubted his continuity as New Delhi’s interlocutor, when the BJP-led NDA lost its power at the Center. But he survived the change of guard, as the new Congress-led UPA Government required his experience in pushing the peace process forward. It also proved that the new Government had genuinely wanted to solve the Naga problem and not interested in political vengeance.
One of the significant steps Congress-led UPA Government has done is they have extended the ongoing ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) indefinitely. This, according to them, was necessary to concentrate more on the substantive issues as both parties had been wasting precious time on working out mostly for truce extensions. Even to show Congress-led UPA Government’s keenness to resolve the Indo-Naga political issue, the Indian Representatives led by Oscar Fernandez came down to Dimapur in a special Air Force Plane for signing that historic ceasefire extension on July 31. Therefore, the integrity of Dr Singh and his Government’s seriousness on the Naga political issue is beyond doubt. This is rather a breakthrough as far as peace process is concerned. It is also reported that out of the 30-Point Charter of Demands put forward by the NSCN (IM), the Government of India has reportedly agreed to 70% in principle and only 30% remains to be settled which perhaps includes the critical areas of foreign policies, separate flag, currency, defense, etc and of course the contentious issue of the Naga integration.
Many political analysts and pundits have candidly suggested that since large portion of the demands put up by the organization has already been agreed upon and therefore the leadership of the outfit should not keep the process hindered and instead move ahead to enter into final agreement. After all negotiation means “give and take,” and they have to be prepared to “lose something.” In reality, many positive things are taking place and the coming general elections in the State will be seen as one of the most crucial ones as the ongoing political issue will once again become central for all parties. Nobody can deny it. From the very beginning, it was Congress Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao who had publicly declared that the “Naga issue is political and it should be solved politically.” His declaration had given the political status of the complex Naga political issue and this was translated into reality today by Prime Minister Dr Singh by formally constituting Ministerial Team for holding political negotiation to end the longstanding issue. This is also what the collective leadership of the NSCN (IM) has been demanding all along. What will be more interesting to see is the collective leadership of the NSCN (IM) will be witnessing the ensuing general elections in the state and testing real taste of the electoral politics being played by state politicians? And they will know the reality on the ground how far those shouting at the top of their voice are serious in finding solution to the protracted Naga political issue. “Who is sycophant and who is working for solution?”
The Imphal Free Press
Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s keenness to resolve Naga political issue cannot be questioned. It was he who had invited the “collective leadership” of the NSCN-IM to visit New Delhi and also allowed them to visit Nagaland to have a wider discussion with leaders of various civil societies. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his Cabinet colleagues, leaders of other political parties and even Naga politicians from neighboring States held discussions with Isak Chishi Swu and Th Muivah of the organization in their Camp Hebron. This is a big achievement on the part of the organization as they needed to study the environment on the ground and Prime Minister Singh had been certainly credited for this.
Prime Minister Singh has again gone further by fulfilling the demand of the NSCN-IM that the bureaucratic-level talks which were a mere get together to keep the ceasefire alive had been upgraded to the level of “political one” by constituting a Ministerial Team headed by Union Minister Oscar Fernandez. In fact, Indian interlocutor K Padmanabaiah to the Center-NSCN (IM) peace talks played crucial role in striking balance even in the face of severe criticisms for spelling out about the talks. He was vehemently condemned and even called him as a mere government servant who knew nothing about the Naga political issue and at times he had to retract his statements. Many doubted his continuity as New Delhi’s interlocutor, when the BJP-led NDA lost its power at the Center. But he survived the change of guard, as the new Congress-led UPA Government required his experience in pushing the peace process forward. It also proved that the new Government had genuinely wanted to solve the Naga problem and not interested in political vengeance.
One of the significant steps Congress-led UPA Government has done is they have extended the ongoing ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) indefinitely. This, according to them, was necessary to concentrate more on the substantive issues as both parties had been wasting precious time on working out mostly for truce extensions. Even to show Congress-led UPA Government’s keenness to resolve the Indo-Naga political issue, the Indian Representatives led by Oscar Fernandez came down to Dimapur in a special Air Force Plane for signing that historic ceasefire extension on July 31. Therefore, the integrity of Dr Singh and his Government’s seriousness on the Naga political issue is beyond doubt. This is rather a breakthrough as far as peace process is concerned. It is also reported that out of the 30-Point Charter of Demands put forward by the NSCN (IM), the Government of India has reportedly agreed to 70% in principle and only 30% remains to be settled which perhaps includes the critical areas of foreign policies, separate flag, currency, defense, etc and of course the contentious issue of the Naga integration.
Many political analysts and pundits have candidly suggested that since large portion of the demands put up by the organization has already been agreed upon and therefore the leadership of the outfit should not keep the process hindered and instead move ahead to enter into final agreement. After all negotiation means “give and take,” and they have to be prepared to “lose something.” In reality, many positive things are taking place and the coming general elections in the State will be seen as one of the most crucial ones as the ongoing political issue will once again become central for all parties. Nobody can deny it. From the very beginning, it was Congress Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao who had publicly declared that the “Naga issue is political and it should be solved politically.” His declaration had given the political status of the complex Naga political issue and this was translated into reality today by Prime Minister Dr Singh by formally constituting Ministerial Team for holding political negotiation to end the longstanding issue. This is also what the collective leadership of the NSCN (IM) has been demanding all along. What will be more interesting to see is the collective leadership of the NSCN (IM) will be witnessing the ensuing general elections in the state and testing real taste of the electoral politics being played by state politicians? And they will know the reality on the ground how far those shouting at the top of their voice are serious in finding solution to the protracted Naga political issue. “Who is sycophant and who is working for solution?”
The Imphal Free Press
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