Centre, NSCN-IM truce extended indefinitely

Giving a fillip to the ongoing Naga peace process, the Centre and the NSCN-IM today decided to extend the decade-old truce prevailing in Nagaland for an indefinite period from August 1. “We have decided to extend the ceasefire for an indefinite period subject to the progress in the political process,” top NSCN-IM leader V S Atem said after a meeting with Government representatives led by Union Minister Oscar Fernandes.

“Reviewing the status of peace talks and ceasefire, it was decided to extend the truce indefinitely from August 1 subject to the progress of talks,” a joint statement issued by the Centre’s key interlocutor K Padmanabhaiah and NSCN-IM general secretary T Muivah said.

Both sides also decided to strengthen the truce monitoring mechanism to ensure peace at the ground level, the statement said.

Conceding to a suggestion from the NSCN-IM leadership during the last round of talks in New Delhi, the Centre’s negotiators decided to hold the first-ever peace parley in Nagaland.

The peace negotiations revolved around NSCN-IM’s demands for special federal relation, a separate constitution for the Nagas, integration of Naga-inhabited areas among others on the basis of their ‘unique history and situation.’

Besides Fernandes and Padmanabhaiah, the Central team included Intelligence Bureau chief P C Haldar and Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta.

Muivah and NSCN-IM chairman Isak Chishi Swu, accompanied by nearly 20 senior functionaries of the group were present at the deliberations held at the heavily-guarded Dimapur circuit house.

Both the sides had already decided to extend the period of truce during the last round of Delhi talks and today’s parley was just a formality to make the announcement from Naga soil.

During the 10-year truce, over 50 rounds of formal and informal peace parleys were held between the two sides in the country and abroad.

NSCN-IM describes peace talks as successful

As the Naga peace talks enter its crucial phase, NSCN(I-M) chairman Isak Chishi Swu has described the last round of peace parleys between the outfit and the Centre’s representatives in New Delhi as “successful”.

After arriving in Nagaland, Swu and NSCN(I-M) general secretary Th Muivah apprised the senior functionaries of the outfit at ‘Camp Hebron’, its council headquarters, yesterday that their Delhi mission was successful.

A statement issued by NSCN(I-M) information and publicity wing said Muivah told the gathering that when the outfit proposed to hold next round of peace talks at Kohima the Centre’s representatives were “caught by surprise” but later agreed to it.

Muivah also charged the Centre of extending support and assistance to rival Naga underground groups in killing innocent Naga people.

Meanwhile, NSCN(I-M) sources confirmed that the next round of talks with the Centre’s representatives would be held at Dimapur on July 30 and 31 to discuss, among other things, the extension of ceasefire between the two sides.

The 10-year truce between NSCN(I-M) and the security forces expires on July 31.

NSCN(I-M) also called for a consultative meeting at its headquarters with public leaders and representatives of NGOs, tribal councils, civil society bodies and gaon burha (village chiefs) on July 27 to elicit their views before taking any decision on truce extension, the sources said.

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