HE has claimed that his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was fruitful. He revealed that the Prime Minister has asked him to continue as the Centre’s pointsman in restoring peace and normalcy in the insurgency affected North-East. But political observers in the capital is eagerly waiting to know whether Muizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga will enjoy same clout in Delhi as he enjoyed during the NDA regime.

During the NDA rule, Zoramthanga had played an important role in bringing a   number of North-Eastern rebel groups to the negotiating table. But he had his share of controversies largely due to the rift between     Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang and former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma.

Not in a mood to allow his bete norie P A Sangma any political mileage, the Meghalaya Chief Minister on many occasions had complained to the previous Vajpayee regime that the Mizoram Chief Minister was interfering in the matters of the state at the behest of Mr Sangma. The fault of the Mizoram Chief Minister was that he was making efforts to bring outlawed Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC), an underground outfit active in the Garo Hills to the negotiating table in close league with Mr Sangma. The Meghalaya Chief Minister even threatened to take action against anybody    found hobnobbing with militant groups in Meghalaya.

Zoramthanga volunteered his services to the Naga peace process at a crucial time. The talks were not making any progress. The Mizoram Chief Minister then made a trip to Bangkok and persuaded the NSCN (IM) leaders to continue negotiations with the Centre. But even this gesture of the Mizo Chief Minister did not please some of the North Block mandarins attached to the peace process. ‘’Without the Centre’s invitation and endorsement it was impossible for me to facilitate negotiations with the rebel groups in the North-East. I am grateful to the Prime Minister for entrusting me with this responsibility,’’ Mr Zoramthanga said after his meeting with Dr Singh. Quite interestingly, Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang was first to welcome the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government’s decision to retain of Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga as the Centre’s interlocutor for peace intiatives in the North-East. Mr Lapang, however, said that the Central Government should take the respective State Governments into confidence in this regard. But political circles in the capital believe that the gestures shown by the Congress leaders are more due to political compulsions rather than a genuine wish to use the services of this rebel-turned-politician.  Because of political rivalry the  ruling party at the Centre will not allow the Mizo National Front (MNF) supremo to emerge as symbol of peace. But at the same time, the Congress is not in a position to take any such step  which might send a signal that the party is engaged in some rethinking about the ongoing peace efforts in the region.

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