NSCN (IM) chief Thuingaleng Muivah (left of Prime Minister Modi) said Nagas would not merge with India
New Delhi:
The prime minister’s office has expressed concern over the deadlock in the Naga peace talks – between the rebel groups and the center’s interlocutor – which threatens to derail key political dialogue.
Worried Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now called on Intelligence Bureau director Arvind Kumar to get the seemingly derailed talks back on track.
“Over the past six years, RN Ravi, in his capacity as interlocutor, has spoken to various Naga groups. However, for 10 or 11 months things have not been going well,” said a senior ministry official. .
According to the official, the prime minister’s office gave Arvind Kumar and IB special director Akshay Kumar Mishra responsibility for fighting fires.
The IB North East Division also has new officers. Mandeep Tulli, a 1999 Batch Officer who had so far been assigned to Manipur’s Imphal, returned to Delhi as Deputy Manager (North East). Nagaland also got a new head of SIB in 1996, Agent Ritu Mishra.
The center is believed to be particularly disturbed by the emergence of a three-way feud in Nagaland – between the NSCN (IM), the largest of the rebel groups, RN Ravi, and the New Naga National Political Groups (NNPG).
The fact that Mr Ravi openly targeted the elected government of Nagaland, which is a partner of the BJP alliance, also did not go well.
Mr. Ravi, in a speech on the occasion of Independence Day, said: “Nagaland is endowed with one of the finest human and natural resources. Unfortunately, today it has the dubious distinction of the worst performing state in the country, including the northeast region, on almost all significant human development indicators.
Meanwhile, opposition parties continue to target the Narendra Modi government on the framework reached with Naga groups in 2015.
“Delhi had promised a new cultural identity for the Nagas without changing the territorial borders. But, as there are also many tensions between the tribes, nothing substantial has come out so far,” said an official.
However, the center refused to back down. “The talks will continue because the government cannot be threatened,” a senior official said.
Over the past 11 months, the stalemate between RN Ravi and various Naga groups has seemed to deepen.
“In October of last year, a consensus was to be reached, but it did not come. The center retaliated and launched crackdowns against NSCN (MI) cadres and leaders. The NNPG on NSCN (IM) didn’t help matters.
Last week, NSCN (IM) Secretary General Thuingaleng Muivah said the center had recognized the sovereignty of the Nagas through the 2015 agreement.
The startling statement came days after the powerful rebel group, which participated in the 18-year peace dialogue with the center, spoke of a “roadblock” and demanded the withdrawal of RN Ravi as interlocutor. .
On Sunday evening, the group issued a statement which read: “The interlocutor carries the mandate of the Prime Minister but, since RN Ravi created an imbroglio … the Prime Minister gave a mandate to continue the discussion with a team of ( officials) of the IB. as an accelerated channel … “
Meanwhile, Naga civil society and student organizations are divided in their loyalties. Most aligned with their respective regions or tribes.
