Inclusive Talks & National Unity Govt

ALONG LONGKUMER

The decision of the Ibobi Singh led Manipur Government to bar the entry of NSCN General Secretary Th Muivah to his native village Somdal under Ukhrul District of Manipur may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Naga people. While there is enough of blame going on for the past one month on who mishandled the situation (about Muivah’s proposed visit to Somdal), the Naga people despite the angst, can actually look at some positive things and work on them further. Firstly, the Nagas in Manipur have been able to demonstrate to the world that they want to live with other Nagas under a single umbrella. The Government of India would have taken serious note of the democratic expression by the Nagas of Manipur to amalgamate with their brethren across the boundary. The united resolve coming out from the Naga Hills of Manipur is therefore politically significant as far as the future of Indo-Naga talks go. Ibobi’s decision has therefore actually helped in strengthening the case of Nagas of Manipur besides further awakening their political consciousness and also exposing the inadequacies of the present State of affairs. 

Secondly, the failure and disappointment following the postponement of Muivah’s programme to visit his native village is a blessing in disguise. Maybe it was God’s plan and a message to the Naga people to first unite their hearts and minds. And more than Somdal, the month long stay at Viswema village among the hospitable Angamis will surely have done more good for the Naga cause as well as for Muivah himself. It would have been an opportune moment for the NSCN General Secretary to have actually sat down and listened to the wisdom of ordinary Nagas and what they want out of the political process. Muivah would have met a cross section of the Naga public during his month long stay at Viswema. And I am sure he will be doing the same in Phek district. A few years back it would have been unthinkable for Muivah to step into Phek given the deep seeded acrimony of the past. That bitterness still lingers and which is why it is important to seek forgiveness and reconcile. As Muivah himself publicly stated during a programme in Pfutsero, this is an “opportune time for the Nagas to unite”. Let Somdal’s loss be a gain for the journey of common hope and for unity.

As our elected representatives, civil society, church and tribal hohos deliberate on how to take forward the current processes, we need to explore and find a way that best addresses the challenge of coming to a meeting point. This is a golden opportunity for the Naga people to work out an honorable solution with the Government of India. But for that to happen, the present talks led by Muivah should now become ‘inclusive’ and broad-based. It is only natural that the parties to the Covenant of Reconciliation be accommodated into the process. But again for this to take place a way has to be found and “all outstanding issues” must be resolved quickly. What will that way be and how it comes about is something for the civil society to work on. A joint meeting on Naga political issue attended by the elected representatives of Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) with cross section of civil society reportedly endorsed that a ‘think tank group’ be set up to explore avenues and approaches towards resolving the Naga political issue. This is a good move as long as it does not become another point of conflict. 

One from the many alternatives that can be explored is to upgrade and revamp the Joint Working Group of the three groups i.e. the two NSCNs and FGN which is already in place. There is no reason, as to why, the spirit of the ‘Covenant’, which has been signed by the three groups, cannot be replicated into something more meaningful and real such as a national unity government. It is not uncommon for political opponents to come together during times of crisis or when great challenges face the people. A national unity government (a crude model of which is presented in the box) in the present Naga context may or may not work but we have nothing to lose even if we make an attempt to broker some form of a power sharing arrangement. 

No one will disagree that the mandate of the Naga public is for all Naga political groups to work together to resolve the political issue with India. Peace talks with the Government of India will take care of itself if Nagas speak in unison and through a common platform. An inclusive model is something that must be worked on. Further the political groups which have so far stayed away from the ‘journey of common hope’ should also join in the fray so that the current process guided by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation becomes even more ‘inclusive’. In fact the ‘Covenant of Reconciliation’ signed by Isak Chishi Swu, SS Khaplang and Brig (Retd) S Singnya has kept the doors open for “other Naga groups to join us in Reconciling with each other”.

Coming back to the ‘Covenant’ itself and the declaration/s and commitment/s made by the three signatories, there are still some unfinished business. The much expected and long talked about ‘meeting at the highest level’ has not taken place for whatever reasons. To refresh our mind the September 23, 2009 ‘Declaration of Commitment’ at Chiangmai signed by Gen. V S Atem, Mr. Zhopra Vero and Mr. Wangtin Naga representing the three groups had resolved to facilitate the meeting of a Summit at the highest level, at the earliest, in affirmation of the “covenant of reconciliation”. The declaration also made the pledge to render every co-operation in order to bring about the Summit, at the earliest. All these are commitments which are yet to be fulfilled. It is about time for the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) to fix accountability and tell the JWG to deliver the results. 

The efforts to bring our top leaders together must therefore continue. It is not a bad idea to get some of the tribal hohos directly involved to facilitate such a meeting at the highest level. In this regard the positive role played by the ‘Two Tribes Joint Tribunal’ of the Konyak Union and Sumi Hoho, which was formed some few years back to facilitate peace and reconciliation of the two NSCN, may need to be reinvented. Along with the Tangkhul Naga Long, the Two Tribes Joint Tribunal could play an effective role as peace emissaries to break the current impasse in bringing the top leaders to meet and talk. But for this to happen, a ‘conducive atmosphere’ will have to be first created so that mutual trust is restored between some of the tribal hohos and the different political groups. A meeting at the highest level will no doubt push the reconciliation process forward and at the same time it will open avenues for a national unity government or any other viable mechanism. 

It is now exactly a year since the historic document “Covenant of Reconciliation” was jointly signed by Isak Chishi Swu, Chairman, NSCN/GPRN; SS Khaplang, Chairman, GPRN/NSCN and Brig (Retd) S Singnya, Kedahge (President), FGN. As implied in the ‘document’, for the ‘historical and political rights of the Nagas’ to become a reality and for the ‘covenant of reconciliation’ to go beyond mere vision, the signatories must act on its solemn commitment. This among others includes resolving all outstanding issues amongst them. Twelve months after the signing of the ‘covenant’, this is a good time to revisit the historic document, do an honest appraisal and see what has been achieved and what has not been. At the end, the key is to seriously deliberate on finding a way for the Naga political groups to work together so that an early solution acceptable to all is found. 

The mechanism of the Joint Working Group has already demonstrated that it can work with a unity of purpose. Playing together as a football team, having a combined choir, successfully completing difficult and risky task such as climbing atop the pinnacle of City Tower to symbolically hoist the white flag of Naga reconciliation etc. is proof enough that the two NSCNs and FGN can indeed work together in the common Naga interest. However, there are still greater and bigger challenges to be accomplished. This will require even more statesmanship and putting aside petty differences if the goal is to be reached. 

The signatories to the September 28, 2009 joint declaration Gen VS Atem, Zhopra Vero and Wangtin Naga along with their respective groups and collective leadership must take forward the resolve made in this declaration. To remind, this includes jointly rejecting any form of conditional package offered to the Nagas by the Government of India. In theory therefore the three groups are not opposed to having an inclusive political dialogue with New Delhi. This part of the joint declaration will have to be put into practice. 

Furthermore its decision to strongly oppose the Naga Common Platform, which had been earlier proposed, would also demand that if the Naga political groups really do not want such a thing, then it must also step in to provide that leadership and fill in the vacuum. So basing on the very ‘Covenant of Reconciliation’ and the subsequent joint declaration of September 28, 2009, it stands to reason that Indo-Naga talks become inclusive and the JWG must be upgraded into the next logical higher step—national unity government or some other mechanism which can take forward the political negotiation with the Government of India to its logical conclusion.        

(Along Longkumer is Editor of The Morung Express. The above article is the personal opinion of the writer and does not in any way reflect the opinion and position of the newspaper)



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