Indo Asian News Service
Dimapur | January 15
The most influential insurgent group in India’s northeast Sunday threatened to pull out of a 9-year-old ceasefire if New Delhi fails to meet its demands. “The objective of having the ceasefire is to find a permanent solution,” said R.H. Raising, a senior leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM). “People are getting impatient and anything may happen if the ceasefire breaks down at this stage,” Raising told IANS.
The NSCN-IM had entered into a ceasefire with New Delhi in August 1997. Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Oscar Fernandes had said in New Delhi that he would hold talks with the NSCN-IM leadership in Bangkok after Jan 26 in an attempt to extend the ceasefire.
“If the Indian government has some definite plans to solve the problem and we find their attitude positive, the ceasefire could be extended,” the rebel leader said. “We need to wait and see how the Indian government responds. Simply prolonging the talks and extending the ceasefire would create doubts in the minds of the Naga people,” Raising said. “We trust the leadership of India but we need to see if they are really sincere in fulfilling the commitments and assurances given to us.”
