|
Kohima, July 21 : Talks between the Centre
and the NSCN (Isak-Muivah), held last week after a gap of eight months,
are likely to enter a decisive stage in September.
Both sides are now focussed on reviewing each other’s proposals.
The last round of talks was held in November 2013.
An NSCN (I-M) source said the Centre has
tabled its proposal before the representatives of the NSCN led by its
chairman Isak Chishi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah who
said they might agree to 70 per cent of the suggestions.
The outfit’s sources said the BJP-led
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is serious about resolving
the over 70-year-old Naga issue.
The NSCN (I-M) has not disclosed the
contents of the proposals but said the Centre has accepted a “shared
sovereignty” though did not elaborate how the Centre was interpreting
it.
The outfit has climbed down from the
demand of total sovereignty to a federal relationship with New Delhi —
in other words a “shared sovereignty”, taking into account the current
global political scenario.
Currently, Ajit Lal, former Intelligence
Bureau special director and chairman of the Joint Intelligence
Committee, is leading the Centre’s team that comprises officials from
the PMO and the Union home ministry.
Lal has been participating in Naga talks for the past couple of years and is familiar with the Naga issue.
The NSCN (I-M) said it would brief Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on the issue and apprise him of the need to
expedite the peace process.
Sources said the Centre and the NSCN (I-M)
have been discussing flag, currency, foreign and home affairs, security
of Nagalim (Nagaland) and decommissioning of the Naga army, among
others.
Asked whether the outfit is seeking a
solution similar to that of Kurdistan in Iraq and Boungainville in Papua
New Guinea, an outfit insider said it might not be on that formula.
Kurdistan enjoys de facto sovereignty with its own security forces to
oversee its boundaries. The Iraqi government does not have much say in
the affairs of the Kurdistan autonomous region.
Representatives of Naga civil societies
and the NSCN (I-M) had even toured Boungainville to study the interim
arrangement made between the Government of Papua New Guinea and the
separatists in Boungainville region. The outfit has been consulting with
international constitution experts.
Since signing of truce in 1997, there has
been over 70 rounds of talks, the main issue being the integration of
contiguous Naga areas.
NSCN (I-M) sources said before signing any
agreement they will have a series of consultations with the Naga people
so that it does not become another dead agreement. But it is doubtful
whether other factions would accept the impending agreement. However, it
was understood that the NSCN (I-M) would try to take other factions on
board the peace agreement.
Currently, the NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) and
Federal Government of Nagaland (Singnyu) are members of the ongoing
reconciliation process with the NSCN (I-M), despite hiccups at some
stages. NSCN (Khaplang) supports the reconciliation process but it has
stopped participating in the reconciliation meeting under the aegis of
the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), headed by a renowned Baptist
clergyman, Rev. Wati Aier, and supported by Naga organisations, church
and national and international organisations.
The Centre could not implement previous
accords in totality, which has generated a certain amount of doubt about
inking any agreement in the future with the Union government.
No comments:
Post a Comment