The much-awaited political dialogue with the Issac-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) has started. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee confirmed this after his meeting with the NSCN (IM) leaders Issac Swu and T. Muivah in Osaka in Japan recently. He further asserted that that peace talks with the NSCN (IM) was a domestic issue. He opined that his meeting with the NSCN (IM) leaders would take the peace process forward.

 In the much-talked about meeting, both the sides have agreed to find an amicable solution to the vexed Naga problem peacefully and through negotiations.  During the meeting the Prime Minister was assisted by Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra and K. Padmanabhaiah, PM’s special emissary.

 After the meeting, the government issued a statement saying: “At the meeting, it was reiterated that a negotiated, peaceful political settlement remained the objective of the two sides. Further talks between the Government of India and the NSCN (I-M) will take place shortly.” Both the Naga leaders flew to Osaka from Amsterdam after Padmanabhaiah prepared ground for the highest level interaction during his two meetings with Swu and Muivah at Amsterdam in September-October this year.Mr. Padmanabhaiah and Intelligence Bureau chief K. P. Singh had flown to Osaka to facilitate the talks ahead of Mr Vajpayee’s five-day visit to Japan.

 Mr. Vajpayee first met the two most influential Naga separatist leaders at Paris. In 1998 after the Atlanta conclave of Naga and Church leaders backed continuation of 1997 cease-fire between the NSCN (I-M) and Indian security forces. Since then Naga leaders have been seeking to go beyond ceasefire and pressing for a permanent political settlement of the Naga dispute.The two Naga leaders have sent to the Government of India a charter of their political demands through Padmanabhaiah.The demands are being looked into and vetted by additional Solicitor General Harish Salve who is expected to submit his views with the Centre.Some of the demands relate to Nagas having the right to a separate flag, currency and separate ‘culture.’

 The Ukhrul (Manipur) born Muivah, the most powerful of all Naga underground leaders, had recently been invited by the Union Government by offering him an Indian passport. The progress of negotiations on the Naga issue with the NSCM (I-M) having a one-to-one discussion with Vajpayee coupled with the willingness of the rival Naga faction NSCN (Khaplang) to join the peace process has brightened the hopes of long term solution of the Naga insurgency, often described as the ‘mother of all insurgencies’ in the North-East.

 The Government of India has been trying to bring the Naga rebels to the negotiating table for a long time. Former prime minister Narasimha Rao had also met the rebels outside India. Later, Naga leaders had met the then prime minister Deve Gowda, during the economic summit in Switzerland in early 1997. The two sides had agreed to a ceasefire but the process was thwarted as the modalities could not be worked out.During the past one year, there has been a dispute between the government and the rebels over the area to be covered by the ceasefire. It was at the insistence of the rebels that the ceasefire was extended to all parts of the country in June and it led to violent protests in Manipur.

The Prime Minister’s talks with the NSCN (IM) top leaders raised hopes in Assam too. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi felt that it was time to start negotiations with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).  He said, “The policy that is being applied for talks with the Naga insurgents should also be applied in case of Assam militants.”

Of late, the ULFA has shown its willingness to come forward for talks. In a statement issued recently ULFA chairman Arvind Rajkhowa said that he was optimistic that the Centre would soon initiate a discussion with the outfit. The outfit’s publicity cell informed about ULFA’s willingness for dialogue provided it is held in a foreign country and in presence of a UN observer.
   
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