Final verdict today; Nagas set term for truce extension
Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 30
EVEN AS the clock began ticking into the last hours of the ceasefire deadline expiring tomorrow, the NSCN (IM) took a tough stance demanding that extension of its ceasefire with Indian security forces be “conditional” on Delhi fulfilling commitments specified in advance. According to a news-report in today’s Telegraph web edition the mood seemed to be to further cut short the period of extension.
Indian negotiators, however, told the NSCN (I-M) that if the ceasefire extension was curtailed further — say, from six months at present to three months — then that would be construed as an “insult” to the government of India,” it was stated.
Minister of state Oscar Fernandes and former Home Secretary K. Padmanabhaiah are pushing for a one-year extension of the ceasefire, claiming that doing so for only six months would do more harm than good to the NSCN (I-M).
The Indian delegates told the NSCN (I-M) negotiators, led by general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, “that a shortened extension would send the wrong signal to rival groups — they would assume all is not well with the peace process and would be encouraged to jeopardize it further. This was what happened because of the last extension of six months, they claimed”, according to the Telegraph report.
The Nagas, they said, must ask themselves whether they had gained or lost from the eight-and-a-half years of ceasefire and then take a balanced view on its extension. Muivah agreed with them but said that Delhi would have to commit to some confidence-building measures to sustain the ceasefire.
“Muivah charged the Indian government, especially the army, with encouraging the NSCN (I-M)’s rival groups in a bid to control it. Therefore, among other things, he demanded that the government make a firm commitment that it would not use any group against the NSCN (I-M) during the ceasefire”, the report continued.
If Delhi did not do so, Muivah argued, there was no point in extending the ceasefire. While the decision on the period of ceasefire will be taken tomorrow, indications are that the extension itself is almost certain, according to the report.
Meanwhile NSCN (IM) officials here in Dimapur today said Tuesday’s dialogue between the two negotiating sides would decide the fate of the ceasefire. Giving the impression that the talks were poised delicately, the outfit’s deputy home minister V Horam said the January 31 parleys would be crucial in deciding the outcome of the continuation of peace time. “The fate of the ceasefire is now very, very unpredictable,” Horam said while maintaining that NSCN supremo Thuingaleng Muivah was indeed “serious” and that a “deadlock” had evolved in the course of the talks.
Supplementing Horam’s statement, deputy minister of the NSCN (IM) wing of the ministry of information and publicity Kraibo Chawang said, “Today’s talks were inconclusive.” There is a need for another round of talks, he said.
Mention may be made that a Naga Hoho delegation led by its President Horangste Sangtam reached Bangkok last night to push forward for an extension of the Ceasefire. The Naga Hoho team reportedly met with both the NSCN (IM) and India negotiators today morning giving their views on ceasefire extension and explaining in particular to New Delhi on how it could have used the previous period more productively.
(With inputs from Telegraph)
