Amid speculations that they may announce some breakthrough in its talks with the government of India, NSCN (I-M) collective leadership, “yaruwo” Isak Chishi Swu and “ato kilonser” Th. Muivah, who arrived Dimapur Saturday, said both sides were now serious enough on resolving the protracted Naga issue.
During a brief interaction with the press on their arrival at Dimapur airport, NSCN (I-M) chairman Isak Chishi Swu said they have arrived home to interact and discuss with the Naga people of what should be done; adding consultative meeting would be held in the next two to three days.
Stating that government of India was also serious on resolving the Naga issue at the earliest, Swu appealed to all the Nagas to earnestly pray for early solution. He said both sides were determined to hammer out differences and come to an agreement as soon as possible. Swu, however said everything cannot be disclosed at the moment.
Meanwhile, Th. Muivah also echoed the remark of Swu and said both sides were serious enough. He said it was high time both sides reached an honourable settlement, “if possible in the shortest time.”
Replying to a query on how early Nagas can expect solution, Muivah said time can not be ascertained, adding “we have to talk still much and naturally it would take time.”
“But we believe both sides are much more determined and we can overcome difficulties,” Muivah said.
On a query to define “shared sovereignty”, Muivah said it would be difficult at the moment to make elaboration.
The MIP recently stated that Indo-Naga peace talk was going on “in the spirit of shared sovereignty’ and ‘unique identity with inter-dependence relationship’.”
The collective leadership of the NSCN arrived home just ahead of tomorrow’s “Naga Independence Day”, August 14.
On asking why the outfit this time was planning to observe “Naga independence day” as a closed-door function, Muivah said “according to times and situation people have to act and here also the same thing.”
He, however, asserted “we can understand people and people can understand us.” Queried if they would hold consultative meetings with Naga bodies during their stay here, Muivah replied in the affirmative, saying “in every possible way we will do that.”
Asked to comment about the division in Naga society at the time when the Naga reconciliation process was going on, Muivah said it was not to wonder that Nagas were divided.
According to him “there is no perfect unity anywhere in the world and so it is not an exception to the Nagas. He said at certain stage of time the differences would be there. Muivah, however, was optimistic that Nagas can understand each other. “There is no doubt about it,” he added. Many home-based NCSN leaders turned out to welcome the collective leaders on their arrival. The collective leaders after interacting with the media left for the council headquarters, Hebron.
On July 18 last, Centre’s interlocutor R.S Pandey and NSCN (I-M) general secretary Th. Muivah had jointly released a statement which stated that both the parties were confident of working out a settlement to the Naga political problem, in the “shortest possible time”. The statement had also admitted that while differences between the two parties have narrowed, some of the proposals would require further negotiations to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
Rh. Raising welcomes collective leadership
Delivering welcome speech on the arrival of the collective leadership to the council headquarters, NSCN (I-M) “kilo kilonser” Rh. Raising said Naga people hoped that they have come back today with a good news from the government of India.
A message of Rh. Raising was forwarded to the media by the outfit’s ministry of information and publicity (MIP).
Quoting the Scripture passage “there is a time for war and a time for peace”, Raising said Nagas too had a tough time for confrontation and now a good time for negotiations with the government of India. But he asked “how long we will keep on talking with the Government of India?”
Stating that time factor counts in everything, the NSCN (I-M) “kilo kilonser” said “our people want to see solution that brings a new era.” He said Naga people were now looking forward for the leadership who begins construction in all fields.
“They have a big hope and trust in your leadership on this count too,” he informed the collective leadership.
Maintaining that there were people among the Nagas who advocated for peace when there was fighting and people who advocate fighting when there was peace, Raising said there was also another class of people who pleads for solution at one go.
“These people love parroting on the roof top on principle,” he said, and pointed out that those people do not care about how that principle was to be concretized.
“I hope our collective leadership is fully aware of all these facts,” Raising said.
Asserting that they were surrounded by hostile elements, who have been trying to pull back the wheel of history but realizing the reality that NSCN was the only standard bearer, Raising said many of them have joined forces with the NSCN. “So also Nagas from all walks of life look up to the collective leadership of NSCN for solution as well as reconciliation and unity among the Nagas,” stated the “kilonser” and hoped that Nagas can surely surmount all those hurdles and “board on the ship of the 21st century under your leadership.”
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