The Naga peace talks are yet to produce the most and the least expected thing - the Solution. But the Status quo club is working overtime to stall the entire process and even derail the hard-earned dialogue process that began in 1997.
Of course, I K Gujral was the Prime Minister then. But prior to that H D Deve Gowda had 'officially' met two prominent Naga insurgent leaders at Zurich in February 1997.
Late Congress leaders P V Narasimha Rao (PM between 1991 and 1996) and Rajesh Pilot (who was Minister of State for Home Affairs catering to internal security) also slogged hard and contributed his part.
Amid this uncertainty whether internal sabotage would prevail vis-a-vis Naga peace parleys - which the Centre says the political discussions were over by 2019 -a new and ugly chapter is being added.
The non-Naga and Naga 'differences' on certain critical areas could herald fresh rounds of troubles for Nagaland where the BJP is sharing power with the regional outfit the NDPP.
The problem may not be at the scale of Kuki-Meitei differences in Manipur but nevertheless the locals and outsiders issues are always hyper sensitive in northeast.
In the 1990s, a number of non-Naga government officers had opted for voluntary retirement during the peak of their career under pressure.
The state government is headed by Neiphiu Rio as the Chief Minister and incumbent dispensation has a BJP deputy Chief Minister Y Patton. Notably, the latter is holding the crucial Home portfolio.
The recent developments related to enforcement of Inner Line Permit (ILP) - which for all practical purpose has failed to stop immigration of illegal Bangladeshis - has been pushed up as a tool to create fresh hurdles for non-Nagas.
Sadly, no native Naga leaders are talking much on this because the good old menace of 'Us and They' syndrome is at work.
The non-Nagas - in minority - are panic stricken. They are sad and frustrated and some well wishers among Non-Nagas and Nagas in Dimapur and Kohima have advised the blogger not to visit the state at least for next six months or so.
"Let December come... there will be Hornbill Festival. The Tourism extravaganza changes the face of Naga economy for 10 days. You may come then," came in a voluntary advise.
A few individual non-Naga public spirited leaders have shot off letters to central politicians including senior lawmakers including a few in BJP and the Congress.
The BJP is silent. It is in big dilemma vis-a-vis power sharing issues with the regional party in the state. Some saffron party leaders in Delhi realise that the controversy over ILP could create "a Jammu like situation" of the 1990s - but they too are silent.
State BJP leaders and Ministers in the Nagaland government are not much bothered as speaking anything on behalf of 'non Nagas (also condemned as Plain manu - people from plains) could sabotage their political career.
"We are set to become refugees in India under BJP again.... Let Narendra Modi and Amit Shah save the Rio government," said one local trader.
The non-Naga business people as it is due to growing extortion demand are shifting base to Assam.
"We are not asking for tribal status. We are only asking for justice, dignity, and recognition as rightful citizens of this country," runs a letter written to some MPs.
Essentially the non-Nagas have raised a four-point charter of demands.
"Kindly raise this ILP matter and harrasment of genuine Indians and Hindus and Jains as urgent issues in Parliament during the Monsoon session of Parliament. There should be a national discussion on the misuse of constitutional provisions and Articles against fellow Indians," says one aggrieved citizen.
Identical letters shared with many MPs also call for "protection and recognition" of all Indian citizens who settled in Nagaland prior to 1963.
Nagaland was given statehood on Dec 1, 1963.
There are also complaints about deliberate games played at the state level (and the centre may be ignorant) to discriminate non-Nagas even for central schemes such as Ayushman Bharat.
There is a demand to ensure that Minority welfare schemes are made available to actual religious minorities and long-settled Non-Nagas in the state.
They also feel that the Modi Government at the centre should immediately enact a policy or a 'registry' granting rights and security to such non-Naga families.
There are other elements of politics at play too.
Recently a member of AICC Minority cell Rajesh Kumar Sethi - a Jain - was asked by his party in Nagaland not to raise such issues.
In a press note (July 2, 2025) the NPCC through its communications department stated that Sethi used his designation as National Coordinator of All India Congress Committee, In-charge of Manipur, while putting forth his individual opinion in connection with the imposition of ILP in Dimapur.
The NPCC clarified that the party functionaries irrespective of the designations held were "not authorized" to speak on policy matters through individual’s perspective, especially on sensitive topics like the ILP issue.
When contacted Sethi declined to take any question on the controversy.
Lately. the Nagaland Congress is embroiled in another controversy for allegedly 'going soft on the BJP-NDPP government' in Nagaland.
Several Congress leaders are either quitting the party to join Conrad Sangma-led NPP or are sending (even getting feelers) about getting Rio-led NDPP ticket for the 2028 assembly polls.
The NDPP ticket aspirants for 2028 polls also include a few prominent Congress office bearers in Nagaland. This was reportedly brought to the notice of AICC leaders including K C Venugopal about two months back.
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| Veteran Rio |
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