The Centre is contemplating a broad-based “political package” for Nagas for an “acceptable and honourable settlement” to the decades-old political conflict, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said today.
Before finalising the “counter proposals” to the charter of demands submitted by NSCN (I-M), the Centre wanted to know the views and opinions of the cross section of Naga society, Pillai told newsmen here.
Suggestions would be incorporated in the package to be submitted to the Union Cabinet for approval.
The home secretary, who has been dealing with northeast affairs for a long time in various capacities, clarified that the counter proposals or the political package is “not conditional” and the Centre is open to holding negotiations on it with the underground groups and Naga civil societies to arrive at a consensus.
The state government, political parties and various Naga NGOs have time and again told the Centre that the permanent settlement to the vexed problem did not lie with a single underground group, he said adding “the solution must be acceptable to all sections of the Naga society.”
“We do not want a situation where one underground group accepts the package while others reject and the problem continues…One should be clear that it must be a political package since the problem is political and needs consensus,” Pillai said. “The contemplated package is not something like doling out some funds from the Centre for certain development and economic activities in Naga-inhabited areas. It must be a comprehensive and broad-based proposal acceptable to the Naga people considering the present political realities,” he said. The package should contain greater political and financial autonomy, proper safeguards to cultural, social and customary practices of the Naga people and greater control over their land and its resources. But the moot question was how to concretize these ideas into a political package and work them at ground level, he said. The UPA government at the Centre had launched fresh initiatives for finding an early settlement of the political imbroglio in Nagaland and had decided to directly hold negotiations between the Centre and the NSCN groups, instead of through an interlocutor as 12 years of political negotiations had failed, Pillai said. “The negotiation process cannot be dragged on through a negotiator without much outcome,” he asserted.
Pillai said under the present political circumstances in the North-east, the physical integration of Naga inhabited areas was not possible. “But we can explore possibility of integration of Naga people in the areas of culture, social practices, and customary laws through some mechanism.”
Appreciating the positive roles played by Naga civil society groups and Churches in containing violence in Nagaland, he said “during my discussions with various groups I came across some good suggestions and ideas for possible incorporation in the package.”
There has been a suggestion that the country should offer some kind of financial help to Myanmar for building physical and social infrastructure in its Naga-inhabited areas as they are living in a pathetic condition.
“Since the Government of India has been offering help to many poor countries, such an offer can also be made to Myanmar,” Pillai said.
Pillai meets NGOs
Union home secretary, G. K. Pillai who arrived in the state capital Tuesday on a two-day official visit held a series of meeting with cross section of the people of the state and also called a review meeting with the State Level Strategy Group (SLSG).
Pillai, who was accompanied by director NE-I MHA, Dr. M.C Mehanathan, on their arrival first met the GOC 3 Corps at the Raj Bhavan and later called on state chief minister, Neiphiu Rio and his cabinet colleagues at the CM’s official bungalow. Pillai also called a meeting of the SLSG at Hotel Japfu and reviewed the implementation of the ceasefire ground rules.
The visiting union home secretary also held separate meetings with the Naga Hoho, ENPO, Nagaland Christian Forum, NBCC, NMA and Eastern Naga Women Organization. “Our meeting was very friendly and positive,” Naga Hoho President, Keviletuo said after their meeting with the MHA Secretary. He revealed that the meeting discussed only on the ongoing ceasefire and political dialogue and finding an early, honorable and acceptable solution to the Naga political problem. On Wednesday, Pillai is scheduled to meet the senior officials of the state government led by chief secretary Lalthara after which he would meet leaders of the Forum for FNR and then with the NSF and ENSF. He is also likely to brief the media before his departure for Guwahati by chopper.
Correspondent