Al Ngullie
Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 14
The current fever of expectation across Nagaland about the supposedly-impending solution to the difficult Indo-Naga political conflict also seem to have birthed a thick strain of confusion among the political parties in Nagaland, leave alone the common Naga citizens. Leaders of the two biggest political parties in the State, the ruling Naga People’s Front (NPF) and opposition Indian National Congress have finally come to at least one agreement this time: Both have admitted that they have ‘no idea what is going on’ and are certainly “confused. Exactly”
In other words, each of the two parties have one foot each in two different pair of shoes – they are ‘hopeful’ of a solution to the Naga political headache ‘before the elections’ but are also hesitantly preparing for the polls to Nagaland’s new government originally scheduled for March 2013 just in case some unexpected surprise comes calling.
The October 29 notice of Nagaland State’s Electoral Roll Observer AS Bathia declaring the campaign for a ‘clean’ electoral roll has only added to the confusion. In fact, the best illustration of that quirky coincidence is the October 30 edition of a local newspaper in Nagaland – the headlining report was about the hectic poll preparations in the State; alongside it was a report about the NSCN (IM) meeting with local Naga organizations to “update” them after the Media reported on an ‘impending solution.’
The NPF is scheduled to hold its annual convention in Dimapur on November 29. Secretary General of the NPF KG Kenye told this daily that the convention is annual and shouldn’t draw allusions with the possibility of whether or not elections would be held in Nagaland. Curiously when told that the theme of the event, ‘Development, Stability & Unity’ smacks of an electoral campaign, Kenye admitted that the party is readying for the polls just in case.
“We have to keep our doors open,” he said. He was referring to the perceived solution to the Naga political issue.
“The ball is now in the court of the Government of India; whether there will be a solution or whether there will be a settlement, we have to be prepared for any eventuality. We have to keep our doors open,” he said.
When queried if he had any ‘idea’ about what possibly could be the ‘solution’, Kenye said “no, we can only wish for an early solution.” In the meantime, the NPF is also ready for the polls just in case the much-sought-after Naga ‘solution’ does not come. “We wish for an early solution but if the Election Commission announces the election we are prepared for it,” he said.
The NPF leader’s statement found a friendly echo in the Congress camp. President of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) SI Jamir said the Congress is also preparing for the polls just in case. Like his NPF counterpart, Jamir had a resounding “No, we are not aware at all” when asked if the party had any point on the solution being touted currently. “Well, we will go ahead with the preparations (for the elections); we are going ahead but only internally for now.” Asked about the current news reports and the surrounding hype, Jamir simply said “We are confused. Exactly.”
The drought of qualified and established information from the NSCN (IM) about the exact nature of the perceived solution, the likely issues involved and the dynamics that possibly define the ‘solution’ have also added to the confusion. A number of the NSCN’s (IM) top leaders were contacted by this newspaper. The organization’s ‘Naga army’ chief Pungthing Shimray expressed inability to comment on the matter saying that statements can only come from the collective leadership.
The State’s top policy makers have admitted that they are not ‘privy’ to the possible exchanges surrounding the topic. In October a number of top civil and government leaders admitted to The Morung Express that they do not know anything about the situation in question. At the time of filing this news report, the Chief Minister’s Office did not take calls nor did Nagaland government leaders, as well as NSCN (IM) leaders this newspaper contacted.
The situation is being reflected in the routine engagements of the government, political parties and political activism at the village and municipal levels in Nagaland. For instance, regular official notifications concerning the electoral roll, photo and voters’ card campaigns from the Election department continue to take newspaper space alongside news about solution to the Indo-Naga political issue expected to appear before February 2013.
Likewise, amidst the expectations, the NPF and the Congress are engaged in slamming each other in the Media about which would – or would not – come to power. The villages’ units of the parties also seem to be keeping busy – claims and rejoinders about party workers defecting to another and vice versa, continue to make the newspaper pages.
Since August this year, the national and local Media had surfaced with heady reports of an “impending solution” to the more than 50 years of Naga political conflict. The recent Joint Legislators’ Forum of Nagaland, a group of elected government leaders from the State, meeting with the Central leaders had added more to the fever. The confusion is likely to stay considering ‘the solution’ is being touted as ‘in the court of India’ now. That means the Government of India is the shop from which the goodies would come out from. All one can do is now wait.
