A Commissionary not an interlocutor should report directly to the PMO
Along Longkumer
Consulting Editor
Dr Manmohan Singh who has served as the Prime Minister of the Congress led UPA government for two consecutive terms, between 2004-2009 and 2009-2014, gave his farewell speech during the last day of the 15 Lok Sabha sessions a few weeks back. For someone who has been at the helm of affairs for ten long years the report card of his tenure is hardly noteworthy except for few things that his government did well. Ten years is a pretty long time for anyone to govern. It is therefore all the more disappointing that the UPA government through two consecutive term could not deliver on the promise made by the PM himself that the long drawn Indo-Naga issue would be resolved within the tenure of the UPA rule. It will be interesting to find out as to how many times or perhaps minutes the PM devoted to speak on the Naga peace process, either in Parliament or outside. It is therefore a big let down for the Naga people when the PM who promised much could not deliver.
More than any PM before him, Manmohan Singh had all the time, ten years to be precise, but he has lost a golden opportunity to deliver on the 15 year-plus Naga talks.
Ironically during his farewell speech, the PM spoke about the manner in which Telangana was born and terming it as an 'indication that this country is capable of taking difficult decisions'. Obviously the difference between the Naga issue and Telangana is that the latter commands attention of those who matter like UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. This is because of electoral dividends that will accrue to the party and leaders. Nagas on the other hand remain on the margins with no political clout whatsoever. Manmohan Singh is right that a government or Parliament is capable of taking difficult decisions as long as there is a sincere effort made and the political will exists. The sad reality is that resolving the Naga issue does not pay any political dividend and therefore no government in Delhi has so far acted upon on the peace process. When it came to Telangana, there was a political process underway and a road map put in place. In contrast the Naga talks has been treated more as a security issue with the active involvement of the bureaucracy and military and thereby stalling any chances of a political resolution.
The Naga peace process has not been cared, loved or nurtured well enough by the ruling dispensation, otherwise why would the process remain without a resolution even after 15-16 years. Now that the Congress led UPA government is on its way out, the Naga peace process will enter a period of hibernation. Whichever party or formation comes to power at the Centre will have to do much better. For one, the next PM should bring the Naga talks under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and appoint a 'Commissionary' with a political background instead of an intercolutor, as has been done in the past. The role of an intercolutor, who 'informally explains the views of a government and also relays messages', has become irrelevant in the current context. After more than a decade of talks what is needed now is to grant authority to someone who can be specifically tasked to take the peace process to its logical conclusion. Such a Commissionary will report directly to the PMO. Enough time has been spend on the peace process and perhaps the contours of an agreement is already there. What is now required is a political decision towards an honourable negotiated settlement.
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