Northeast outfits on Delhi talks radar

Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Sept. 19 : The Narendra Modi government has begun taking steps for a dialogue with insurgent outfits in the Northeast amid a debate within the government that talks without a broad framework of policy may not go far.

In the last two days, the Union home ministry has recommenced stalled negotiations with two organisations — one of them being a militant outfit in truce with the Centre. Today, a six-member delegation of National Democratic Front of Boroland (Progressive) held talks with home ministry officials. The suspension of operations agreement with the outfit has been extended by three months.

A memorandum of settlement with the A’chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC), a Meghalaya-based outfit, will also be signed next week, sources said.

The NDFB (P) has been pushing the government for political-level negotiations for over a year. The Modi government was expected to take some bold initiatives, but in the first 100 days, little happened, leading insurgent leaders to remark that they were a shade disappointed.

As the NDFB’s Ranjan Daimary-led faction is also in the process of coming to the negotiating table and the NDFB (Songbijit) continues to appeal to the hardline elements, the Govinda Basumatary-led faction is under pressure to perform.

Former Intelligence Bureau director, P.C. Haldar, is interlocutor for talks with the Bodo outfits as well as groups in Meghalaya. “Substantial issues were discussed with the NDFB,” a government official said this evening.

Pressure is mounting on several other outfits who have signed the suspension of operations agreements or ceasefire agreements with the Centre. They too are also feeling the heat from the ground. “But there is no policy yet, no framework on what should be done or not done in the Northeast or even that the present policy of status quo be allowed to continue,” a senior home ministry official said.

The interlocutor for Naga peace process, R.N. Ravi, was present when a delegation of the United Naga Council (UNC) called on home minister Rajnath Singh yesterday. Although the UNC is a social organisation the government sees its agenda coalescing with demands of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah). The UNC is demanding autonomy for the Naga hill areas of Manipur and has recently withdrawn a call for an economic blockade in Imphal valley after assurances from New Delhi.

By next week, the NSCN (I-M) leadership is expected to be back in Delhi and there is anticipation that the first round of talks between Thuingalang Muivah and Ravi may take place.

Talks have been continuing since 1997 without any headway, but with relative peace in the backdrop.

Officials on Raisina Hill are, however, not satisfied with incremental responses of the government. They argued that a framework was needed in order to draw red lines on what is permissible in the conflict zone.

“Whether extortion should be allowed or if armed persons of outfits in ceasefire be allowed to roam around at will, should be part of the framework,” a senior government officer suggested. “Till now there is no sign of any such broad policy guidelines,” the official added.

The official says that while peace and development continue at a snail’s pace, the issues of insurgent-politician nexus, corruption and extortion should be addressed.

Home minister Singh recently said the government was in the process of drafting a comprehensive policy for all conflict areas, including the Northeast. He told the UNC representatives that while the government would try to address problems in a “time-bound” manner, there is no scope for violence.