Attack is an abrogation of ceasefire: State Cabinet
NSCN (IM)’s yet another bid on Jamir’s life fails

NAGALAND Chief Minister S. Chubatoshi Jamir miraculously escaped the fourth attempt on his life when unidentified militants laid an ambush on his convoy on November 29 morning near Piphema on NH-39 under Dimapur district, killing two police escorts and injuring six other persons including a truck driver.

The suspected NSCN(I-M) activists blew up three vehicles of his convoy. Mr. Jamir was travelling from Dimapur to Kohima, when the ultras laid booby-traps over 150 metres area on National Highway 39, with at least 14 IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devises).
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has condemned the dastardly attempt on the life of Nagaland Chief Minister S C Jamir. Expressing his great sense of relief at Mr. Jamir’s providential escape, he said "there is no place for violence in our society and polity."

Union Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani also expressed concern in the Lok Sabha over the attempt by suspected extremists on the life of Mr. Jamir. The matter was raised in the House by K. A. Sangtam, the lone MP from Nagaland.
Mr. Advani said the government shared his concern over the attack. Mr. Sangtam urged the Central Government to step up security for the Chief Minister. The entire civilian population in the North-East, particularly of Nagaland, was under threat by the extremists. The situation was very bad in the region, he added. His party colleague Rajesh Pilot asked the government to apprise the House of the details of the talks being conducted with the NSCN (I-M).

The two policemen killed in the attack were Lance Naik Khenga Rengma of 5th NAP and Constable Limasunep of 8th NAP.
Although, no Naga underground group has claimed the responsibility for the attack, Mr. Jamir suspects it to be the handiwork of the NSCN (Isac-Muivah). Talking to a T.V. channel, the Chief Minister said that the preliminary investigations suggest the hand of NSCN (IM) in the attack.

Mr. Jamir also confirmed that a timely action by one of his bodyguards in taking him in a nearby crater, saved him from the bullets, which were sprayed from three sides on the convoy, after the explosions.
However, the NSCN (I-M) has denied responsibility and condemned the act saying it was "detrimental" to the peace process in Nagaland.

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers at Kohima reviewed the law and order situation in the State. The Council of Ministers unanimously condemned the assassination attempt by the NSCN (IM) and has called upon the Union Government to take serious view of the incident. The State Government has held the NSCN (IM) responsible for the attack and demanded review of the ceasefire between the Centre and the insurgent outfit describing it as a "mockery’. "The dastardly attempt on the life of the Chief Minister is a clear act by which the NSCN (IM) has unilaterally abrogated the ceasefire," a resolution said.

Extract of the Resolution:

This action of the NSCN (IM) has proved beyond any shadow of doubt that neither peace nor unity or political settlement is in the agenda of the NSCN (IM) . They are targeting the life of the leaders and people who are championing the cause of peace and unity in the State of Nagaland. Their sole intention seems to be to brutally eliminate all whom, they think, stand in their way.
For the last more than two years, ever since the declaration of cease-fire between Govt. of India and the NCSN (IM) on 1st Aug. 1997, the State Govt. of Nagaland and the entire people of Nagaland under the aegis of Hohos, NGOs, Church leaders, had made sincere efforts to make the cease-fire a reality in the State of Nagaland by repeatedly making appeals to the NSCN (IM) and all other underground outfits to maintain peace and solve all problems through peaceful and democratic means. The urges and feelings of the entire people of Nagaland have been demonstrated through resolutions, peace marches and chain of prayers in all the churches in Nagaland. The NSCN (IM) which have signed the cease-fire have however, turned deaf ear to the cry of the people. The cease-fire has been taken as a license to kill., to assassinate, to ambush, to kidnap, to rob to extort.

Security forces close down NSCN(IM) office

Security forces took over the control of NSCN(I-M) ceasefire monitoring cell citing ‘continued gross misuse’ of the office at Dimapur town. IG, Assam Rifles (North) Maj. Gen. R. B. Singh said it had asked the NSCN(I-M) to close down its monitoring cell office in wake of the assassination bid on Chief Minister S. C. Jamir’s life. He further alleged that in the guise of ceasefire monitoring, the underground organisations were running lottery, threatening and interrogating people by turning the office into their virtual ‘central headquarters’.