The Telegraph
New Delhi
The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) has made it clear it will not talk to the new chairman of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, who will replace present incumbent Lt Gen. (retd) R.V. Kulkarni, if the Centre makes the appointment without consulting the outfit.
Gen. Kulkarni, who has been in charge of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism for the past five years, was recently granted an extension of tenure till July. He is likely to be replaced by Swaranjit Sen, retired director-general of police of Andhra Pradesh. In a letter written by rebel leader V.S. Atem to V.K. Duggal, Union home secretary, the outfit has asked the Centre to clarify its position on reports of the replacement. The outfit suspects the Centre of having a hidden agenda in replacing Kulkarni.
“We do not have anything for or against any individual but even before the present chairman took over, we had refused to speak to P.P. Shrivastava because we were not consulted before his appointment,” senior rebel leader Phunthing Shimrang said over phone from Dimapur.
Asking the retired general to relinquish his post on “health grounds” is “not convincing”, said the rebel leader, adding that it was all the more suspicious as the home ministry is involved in the decision.
Shimrang who is convenor of the ceasefire monitoring cell, said for the last two years the outfit has asked the government to empower the chairman of the ceasefire mechanism and make the chair more functional.
Nothing, however, has been done in that direction even though the Assam Rifles has killed more than a 100 NSCN (I-M) cadre “in Naga areas”.
The outfit’s allegation also indicates its reiteration of an extension of ceasefire without “territorial limits” to all Naga areas, a point that was a bone of contention and cause widespread violence in the Imphal valley in 2001.
Meanwhile, sources in the outfit said there are no indications of a track II diplomacy of sorts to take the outfit into confidence on contentious issues as the Congress-led government awaits success in Manipur polls next month.
‘The government is thinking of wasting time till the NSCN (I-M) weakens?” questioned a rebel leader. The ruling Congress is quiet and will campaign in Manipur on a status quo of territorial integrity of the state.
Manipur has the staunchest opposition to NSCN (I-M)’s demand of integrating Naga areas in Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
