Centre, NSCN (IM) resolves to find honourable solution

Both sides resolve to work in close coordination to find out an “amicable, peaceful and honourable” solution to bring peace.

GIVING a fresh impetus to the ongoing Naga peace process, the Centre and the NSCN (IM) recently resolved to expedite their negotiations to find out a peaceful and honourable solution to the six-decade-old insurgency problem in Nagaland. In a meeting, both sides resolved to work in close coordination to find out an “amicable, peaceful and honourable” solution to bring peace into the North Eastern State.

“The discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere. Both sides exchanged their views very frankly. The substantive issues also figured in the talks,” an NSCN (IM) spokesman said. The Naga outfit’s general secretary Thungaleng Muivah is understood to have told the government team, led by Union Minister Oscar Fernades, that “NSCN (IM) is committed for peace. Therefore, the government should work for an honourable solution”.

The issue of recent clashes between NSCN (IM) and its rival faction also figured in the discussion and the group asked the Centre to “control” the members of Khaplang faction for maintaining peace in Nagaland. Both sides agreed to meet again soon, possibly later this month or early November.

Muivah, who has been camping in Dimapur ever since his return to India from Europe in December last year, is likely to leave the country again. NSCN-IM chairman Isak Chisi Swu has already left India. Both the Government and NSCN (IM) on July 31, decided to extend the ongoing ceasefire indefinitely “subject to progress of peace talks” between the two sides.

Apart from Fernandes, Union Ministers Prithiraj Chavan and S Regupathy and Centre’s interlocutor K Padmanabhaiah took part in the meeting while eight top leaders represented the NSCN (IM).

Meanwhile, NSCN (K) has described the claim made by Arunachal Pradesh Water Resources Minister Tako Dabi, who is also the spokesman of the Arunachal Pradesh Government that the insurgent groups had been threatening the Ministers and MLAs of the state as unfounded. Dabi’s claim was published in a section of the print media as few days back. The Minister had claimed that the insurgent outfits had been threatening the Ministers and MLAs of the state, particularly those of the Tirap and Changlang districts for extortion.

In fact, said P Tikhak, Deputy Kilonser of the Ministry of Information and Publicity, Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland run by the NSCN-K, the legislators of Arunachal Pradesh had been paying to the underground outfits to achieve at their political goals. For instance, Gegong Apang paid an amount of about Rs 15 crore to the NSCN (IM) leader VS Atem to topple the Mukut Mithi Government through different people and at different locations before and after the toppling of the Mithi Government, said Tikhak. He said that during his tenure as the Revenue Secretary of the NSCN-K –run Government’s Union Territory-III, under which Tirap and Changlang were placed, nothing in cash or in kind was received from any of the legislators by the outfit. Tikhak also made an appeal to the legislators of Tirap and Changlang to verify the statement of Dabi and also to make public statements about the real situation there in this connection.

On the other hand, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officials of Nagaland have expressed serious concern over the threat to one of its senior members by NSCN (IM)  to deal with him as per the ‘standing azha’ of the outfit. The IAS officers have requested the senior leadership of NSCN-IM to review and withdrew the threat.

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