Return to hawkishness?

The appointment of RN Ravi, Interlocutor for Indo-Naga Peace Talks, as the 20th Governor of Nagaland, has generated mixed reactions from various stakeholders in ‘Naga-land’ – ranging from elements of surprise to cautious optimism. He will replace incumbent PB Acharya, who officially completed five years in office on July 18. 

The appointment has the discernible Narendra Modi-Amit Shah strategic stamp. True to their style of functioning, few were privy to the choice of new Governors in six states, including Nagaland, till the formal announcement via a Press Communiqué from the President of India’s Secretariat on July 20.  

“The above appointments will take effect from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices,” stated Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Communiqué.

While the office of Governor is mandated by the Constitution of India and considered ‘independent,’ in practice, the prerogative of ruling party/ies at the Centre rule roost, and control the preferences as well as final say over the appointment. 

Naga Political Groups (NPGs), the immediate stakeholders in the ongoing Indo-Naga Peace Process, were closely guarded in their instant reaction to the appointment. Too early to speculate, were common refrains from the NPGs. It was during Ravi’s tenure that the August 3, 2015 ‘Framework Agreement’ between Government of India (GoI) and NSCM (IM) was signed. An agreement with the Working Committee (WC) of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) was also effected on November 17, 2017, with Ravi as the key enabler. 

Other stakeholders were more forthright in their reactions. The appointment has both positive and negative implications, stated the President of Naga Hoho. Positive, given Ravi’s experiences; negative, if the process is prolonged, as a new interlocutor would imply starting from scratch.  Two peace and social activists told The Morung Express that it gives hopes for “more results” and “faster and more fruitful negotiations” given his familiarity and experiences with the issue. The State Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, and Nagaland BJP President, Minister Temjen Imna Along, as expected, welcomed the appointment.  

Mixed reactions apart, the current appointment could also signal the recourse to a well-tested tradition of assigning either former military or police personnel to the post, instead of a career diplomat, civil servant or politician.

Is it the return of hawkish ‘pragmatism,’ whereby the ‘containment policy’ is revisited, juxtaposing authoritative governance with economic largesse, sidelining other issues? It could also be indicative of how the bigger question of the Indo-Naga political issue is being viewed by the current dispensation.  

For instance, since the early 1990s, the Governor to Nagaland has been either a retired army personnel or member of police organisations, particularly Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre. A brief interlude for two years was seen when politician K. Sankaranarayanan was appointed as governor in 2007. The appointment of incumbent Governor PB Acharya in 2014 was also a rare departure. 

Prior to 1990s, most appointees were either politicians or retired administrators or career diplomats, with vast administrative experience. The first Governor, Vishnu Sahay (ICS), was a Cabinet Secretary of India, while Braj Kumar Nehru was a diplomat. The third, Lallan Prasad Singh, was a Home Secretary while SMH Burney was also a civil servant with varied administrative experience.  

Two things can also be implied from the current appointment – either the ongoing Indo-Naga political dialogue is nearing completion, pending final tying of loose, but negligible, ends, or a fresh, albeit unlikely, cycle is set to begin. 

As the GoI’s Interlocutor to Indo-Naga Peace Process, Ravi is assumed to have familiarised thoroughly with the complex and layered Indo-Naga political issue, but as a former Intelligence Bureau Director, pragmatism is ingrained in his worldview. It remains to be seen how he manifests himself in his latest assignment.