Enough is enough

Z Lohe

Quoting the local paper dated 26.2.2022, the CM of Nagaland during his election campaign in the last week of February, 2022 for NPF party in Manipur urged the concerned negotiating parties to bring about Naga political solution as “prolonging Naga solution will leave no future for Naga generations.” That was the befitting statement of a leader and of a facilitator knowing how the citizens of his State have been suffering from the burden of pendency of political solution all these years. Subsequently, the resolution adopted on 9.3.2022 out of the Govt. sponsored meeting with some civil organizations goes “The Naga people are yearning for an early political solution. The negotiating parties should earnestly heed to this call and arrive at a political solution that is honorable, inclusive, transparent and acceptable to the people. The house further appeals to all sections to make renewed efforts towards unity and understanding in order to work towards one solution and one agreement.” Urging the negotiating parties to come to its logical conclusion was right though part of the language was ambiguous. 

Meanwhile, the local papers carried the speeches of some of the MLAs dated 23.3.2022 during the just concluded Budget Session who spoke on Naga political issue on 22.3.2022 including the speech of the honorable Chief Minister of Nagaland are hereby quoted. Quoting the C.M’s statement “Nagaland Govt. today called for a fresh mandate on Naga peace process if solution has to be delayed and continue to elude common cry of the people.”  This is indeed a bombshell. The CM has also alleged that “the negotiating groups have betrayed the expectation of the masses and that the people should seek for a fresh mandate if solution to the protracted Naga political issue is going to be prolonged.”  I believe it is wrong to brand every negotiating group to be a betrayal to the Nagas. As far as the GoI is concerned, for the first time after many years the PM Narendra Modi had proved his sincerity to resolve the Naga political issue without whose inspiration the negotiations would not have been brought to its official closure by 31st October, 2019. I am sure, as for the two Naga negotiating groups, the performance of one negotiating party varies from the other in respect of sincerity, commitment and accountability to the Naga public vis-a-vis solution. Therefore, all the negotiators cannot be blamed for the mistake of one. The CM of Nagaland or for that matter any Naga has the right to expose any Naga negotiator for sidetracking from the given parameter at the cost of the Nagas. Beside, the process is still on and the negotiating parties have not officially announced that the business has reached a death end and thus our hope for the ultimate solution is kept alive. It is therefore too early for anyone to conclude that the negotiators have betrayed the Nagas. 

Whereas, in regard to the propounded “fresh mandate”, few questions do arise. Firstly, to which Naga National political group, one intends to give the mandate? Secondly, what would be the criteria for the denial of the Naga mandate to any NNPG under any eventual circumstance should such public verdict becomes the case? If at all, the Nagas opt for this proposal of “fresh mandate’, it basically implies that all what had been already negotiated and mutually concluded it on 31st October, 2019 have been discarded. Therefore, the third question is how the Nagas can ensure the GoI to keep the negotiation door open so as to restart the fresh political negotiation between the freshly mandated Naga National political group/groups and the GoI?  

Nevertheless, such propound for “fresh mandate” is found to be a fainthearted comment of the individual and not necessarily the decision of the UDA Govt. as such as found here. Because of the fact that one of the speakers in the discussion was in the person of Mr. Zhaleo Rio, Advisor who touched the right chord when he said that “both FA and Agreed Position are under the Constitution of India and insisted that solution should come at the earliest for the sake of the people.” He urged the 60 members not to shy away but be active facilitators for the peace process. The NPF MLA Mr. Imkong Imchen had challenged the fellow 59 members to prove their worth of the promised made time and again to the extent of invoking President’s Rule should the existing House be considered a hamper to the early political solution. Thus, these participants had expressed their confidence in the ability of the negotiating parties to drive the concluded negotiations by 31st October, 2019 to its logical end.

Again, quoting the local papers report dated 25.3.2022 in which Mr. TR Zeliang, Chairman of UDA stated on the floor of the House on 24.3.2022 that “giving two agreements for one issue was the turning point of disagreement between the two parties and this is the handy work of (the) then Interlocutor RN Ravi.” The word ‘inclusiveness’ is the household word of the Nagas. The Nagas indeed desire that the political negotiation to be inclusive and its ultimate solution too to be inclusive, and indeed when it comes it will be inclusive. For exactly 20 years from 1997 till 2017 (by September, 2017 the WC, 7 NNPGs was invited to negotiation by the GoI) the NSCN(IM) have had the exclusive negotiation with the GoI. Had not the GoI given credence to the popular public sentiment of the Nagas for inclusiveness in the political negotiation, the bigger chunk of our people would have remained excluded in the process till today. Also, had not the GoI appointed the most capable leader in the person of Mr. RN Ravi as the Interlocutor, the Naga political issue and its negotiations would have remained half-cooked like chewing cud without stirring it to the official closure till date. Indeed, Mr. RN Ravi, the fifth Interlocutor was pivotal in ironing out all the hurdles through practical negotiations. Under Mr. RN Ravi’s leadership the snail’s pace negotiation was raised to highly spirited dialogues which could be mutually ended on 31st October, 2019. 

Thus, whoever stands for inclusiveness would definitely appreciate the inclusive negotiation and inclusive solution. All the predecessors of Mr. RN Ravi have had the exclusive negotiation with NSCN(IM) for 2 decades, whereas, the PM Modi managed to rope in the WC, 7 NNPGs in the negotiation for the sake of inclusiveness. Whereas, Mr. RN Ravi replaced the namesake negotiation with intensive practical negotiations with every party. If so, how can one discredit him by harping on inclusiveness on one hand and casting aspersion on the one who had sacrificed his best for inclusiveness and for realistic transaction of business?  

    The UDA was hopefully formed to attribute effective facilitation. I believe the 6o MLAs came together under one banner of UDA was not to misguide, bluff and confuse the both the Naga public and the GoI with falsehood. While the Nagas are at the cross road, it is imperative that the Naga leaders guide the gullible public with honest voice based on ground realities. The Naga leaders, be it over ground or Naga National leaders remain honest to themselves so also to the public by avoiding the emanation of incoherent, unrealistic, misconceived and unpalatable statements with the intent to confuse the masses. At this juncture, it has to be rather the endeavor of every Naga leader mitigates and simplifies any challenge that comes on our way rather than complicating it. No true leader likes to fish out of troubled water. Enough should be enough, let us not confuse the Nagas as well as the GoI anymore.