Political potholes

 What the GBs of Nagaland including NTC, sought to convey to the government of India, through the December 12 peace rallies across Nagaland including press statements, addressed to the prime minister, was about keeping the promise. After the cease fire was signed between the government of India and the NSCN(I-M) on July 25,1997 after it came into effect on August 1,1997, both sides have been holding prolonged negotiations since 2002 to bring about a permanent settlement on the Naga political issue. Over 80 rounds of negotiations have been held between the government of India and the NSCN(I-M). On August 3,2015 a ‘framework agreement’ was signed by the government of India’s Interlocutor for Naga talks R.N.Ravi and the NSCN(I-M) ato kilonser Th.Muivah in Delhi. Prime minister Narendra Modi ( who gets credit) welcomed the breakthrough and later assured that his government would deliver on its promise to solve the Naga political problem. While no one openly admits or most have no idea of what are the issues being discussed, the August 3,2015 framework agreement further heightened interest as well as speculations about what’s going on. However, according to some media reports, the framework mainly involves creating a mechanism which would create institutions allowing autonomy to Naga tribes living across the border in Manipur — a significant climb down by leaders. The political issue and solution has been as top agenda with the elected members, leaders of society and church etc. As talks were confined only with NSCN(I-M), the public felt very strongly, that talks should be inclusive of all sections in order to reach a broad agreement. The government of India, notably its Interlocutor was quite aware of the sentiments of the people, especially of Nagaland about the need to invite other groups including NSCN(K). Thus, even as the common people in Nagaland were beginning to wonder what was causing the inordinate delay in finalising the Accord, the central government, in October 2017, injected some hope in the people by widening the scope of the peace talks, which included six Naga political groups besides the NSCN (I-M). The six outfits, who come under the umbrella of Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) are GPRN/NSCN (Neokoao Konyak-Kitovi), Naga Nationalist Council (NNC), Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN), NSCN (Reformation), National Peoples Government of Nagaland (Non-Accord) and NNC/GDRN/NA (Government Democratic Republic of Nagaland-Non Accord). The elected members of the Nagaland legislative assembly have been passing resolutions calling upon the government of India to bring about an early solution. In fact, before the scheduled February 2018 assembly election was announced, the NGOs including political parties had urged upon the government of India to not hold elections but instead bring solution. However, it may be noted also, that postponing elections in the hope of obtaining immediate solution was not based on reality. It was the same prior to 1998 assembly elections. Again, the dynamics of Nagaland tribe politics has gone on tangent with the demand for ‘Frontier Nagaland’ by the six tribes under Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation(ENPO) inhabiting Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire and Noklak. ‘Frontier Nagaland” has been the demand of ENPO since 2010. The government of India is sympathetic to the demand but knows that acceding to the demand would invite more problems for it from other states. Thus, political solution won’t be easy so cannot be rushed since it also involves Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.