The signals emanating from Bangkok after the latest round of peace talks between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India is welcome and augurs well for the eight year old peace process. The bonhomie mood on which the talks ended with NSCN (IM) General Secretary Th Muivah hosting lunch for Team India led by Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes was not unexpected and it was well timed coming as it did when the Indo-Naga peace process appeared to have reached a low ebb with elements of doubt creeping in on whether the 6 month old ceasefire expiring on July 31, 2006 will even be extended.
Media reports—both national and local—therefore seemed to have overplayed on the tensions surrounding the latest talks or the build up to it. At the end the latest round of peace parleys seemed to have been a routine affair. That there are no contradictory statements from either side (at the time of writing this column) would only suggest that both parties are doing business as usual and working hard on the intractable issues.
The affable Fernandes with whatever limitations he may have has done well with his easy going style of negotiation to garner mutual trust with his Naga counterparts. With him at the helm of affairs, New Delhi has a golden opportunity to effectively give the much needed political momentum that has so far eluded the talks. Also since the Government of India has consciously upgraded the talks to a political one with Fernandes’ appointment, there is now no reason to further delay what New Delhi itself terms as ‘step by step’ process. It is now solely incumbent on the UPA government to work out and put together a road map based on the terms agreed upon by the two entities when they first entered into peace negotiations.
On its part, the NSCN (IM) Collective Leadership will do well to continue soliciting the opinion of a wider range of people so that any solution is broad based and acceptable to all. The political management of the present situation dogged as it is by mutual hatred and suspicions must be a priority for the NSCN (IM) and one in which they would have to take a major initiative.
It would not out of place here, to make a pointed reference to the statement of the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) expressing the need to seek effective participation of people by taking the peace process beyond the negotiating table and in the process democratize the peace building exercise towards achieving sustainable peace and security. Such a suggestion from the NPMHR should carry weight as any political solution must be broad based.
