NSCN(IM) brings back 'old foe' Jamir in 'Naga Talks' politics: Why Muivah camp targeting 'Delhi plan' ??

Return of the old cowboy of Naga politics - S Chubatoshi Jamir ???

Nagaland Governor and peace interlocutor RN Ravi "had got himself a good partner in ex-Chief Minister of Nagaland and ex-Governor Mr. S C Jamir who is tooth and nail against Naga solution defending the 16 Point Agreement.

Both of them had been surreptitiously working together and they are responsible for holding the NNPGs in the grip and misled the GoI, particularly the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi)", said a statement from NSCN(IM) on late Sunday night, August 16.

(Jamir, 88 is the only survivor of the 16th Point Agreement of 1960 that had heralded statehood for Nagaland on Dec 1, 1963)

This is the second statement from the 'potent' militant group in two days. The NSCN(IM) had entered into ceasefire and formal talks with the Government in 1997 when S Chubatoshi Jamir was the Chief Minister.

Jamir has 'survived' multiple attacks on his life allegedly from the NSCN(IM) and that included 'closest' one in Delhi in 1992 at Nagaland House - 29 APJ Abdul Kalam (earlier called Aurangzeb) Road.

Why Muivah's camp is also targeting 'Delhi plan' ??

The NSCN(IM) statement says ----

"For all purpose Ravi stood firm behind NNPGs to wreck the Framework Agreement and maneuvered the NNPGs to do his bidding. At the end of the day Ravi’s hidden agenda was out in the open. 

But by then he had achieved what he desperately wanted, to bring confusion among the Nagas and designs groups to oppose the Framework Agreement.

"With his overbearing attitude and hidden agenda up in his sleeves Ravi also went against the
successive Prime Ministers of India and the Chief of Indian Army’s “will” who declared on
more than one occasion that the Naga problem is “political issue” and not “law and order.”

Much to the indignation of the Naga people, Ravi went against their commitment to pull
down the Naga political issue to constitutional law and order problem. As a result of his
newly founded stratagem we have seen the killings of NSCN members, house raids, arrest
and manhunt by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under his supervision.

The ubiquitous Assam Rifles (AR) has gone hyper active since Ravi became the Governor of
Nagaland.

In the past much before he came into the scene as interlocutor Ravi used the print media to
write tormenting articles on Naga issue.

In his article in 2012 “Chasing a chimeric peace” he stated that they (the Nagas) know that peace is a distant dream….not inherently distant because Delhi, by design & default makes it so.

"As we sum up the sinister game plans of Ravi there is no doubt to it that he is an extension of Delhi plan by virtue of his post." 

In 2014, he wrote another article “Nagaland decent into chaos”. This is exactly what he did to Nagaland today as there is chaos of his making.


"Scheming to create schism within the Nagas, Ravi in his meeting convened by him at Hotel
Japfu, Kohima, dated 18th October, 2019 coined divisive phrase to categorize the Naga
society into “primary” and “secondary” stakeholders. This speaks volumes of his deceitful
plan to destroy the Naga society.

On the current status of the talk NSCN put on record that 'PM level talks' has not gone down
to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) level talk. Interlocutor carries the mandate of the PM.

NSCN has been talking to Ravi as Interlocutor and not as Governor.

But since Ravi created imbroglio in the talk process, the PM give mandate to continue the talk to a team of IB as a Fast Track Channel for communication and clear the pending points in the competency.

Has PM Modi been 'misled' by RN Ravi

We may talk about the NSCN(IM) statement at a later stage.

But importantly, now that the NSCN(IM) has named S C Jamir - it is worth talking about him for a while because in the 1990s --- when we were 'struggling journalists' in Nagaland --- the Naga underground and overground politics also used to be in a raw sense largely a BATTLE OF TWO TITANS --- Jamir and Muivah.

Often, there used to be press statements and lengthy write ups from both sides on daily basis.

This is why I use the term 'old foe' ! 

Jamir has been a Congress veteran and perhaps is still a member of the grand old party. Of course, in the 1970s, he flirted with the regional politics for a brief spell and was UDF Deputy Chief Minister under an Angami stalwart Vizol.

Known for 'honest' politics -- certainly a rare commodity at the later stage in Nagaland and also in the rest of north east India, -- Vizol used to be soft spoken gentleman. Jamir was sacked by Vizol.

Jamir had his rivals in the Congress party in the likes of 'nationalist' Hokishe Sema also. But Jamir won over Congress leadership confidence - by one means or the other. Rajiv Gandhi made him Chief Minister in 1989 after Hokishe Sema government fell - allegedly due to the 'politics' of defection engineered by Jamir.

But Jamir later won oven Congress high command blessings during the stint of P V Narasimha Rao as well though for quite sometime, Rao presumably trusted Hokishe Sema, who was Himachal Pradesh Governor during the Rajiv Gandhi era.

But Jamir befriended the then AICC general secretary in-charge Sushil Kumar Shinde. Paradoxically, Neiphiu Rio, the incumbent Chief Minister, and K Therie used to Jamir's 'men' hobnobbing in Delhi in typical Congress style of politics.

No wonder, once I quizzed Rio (in Delhi when Shinde was Home Minister under Manmohan Singh) asking how could he work so closely with Home Minister Shinde as Jamir was his 'original Naga friend'.

Rio had shot back: "Arey, If Jamir was close to Shinde, I was also close to Jamir". Standing near us, Chingwang Konyak, now chief of NDPP (a party floated with Rio's blessings in 2017-18) pulled me in friendly gesture and said, "Niren, you are being naughty". 

But Jamir's favourite oneliner to us during his heydays used to be - "I am the most harassed Naga politician and also surviving".

Truly, he is a 'surviving' magic. In fact, between 1993 and 2003 - he was state's Chief Minister for 10 years - a record for becoming the first Chief Minister to be in office for so long. In later stage, Rio managed 11 year rule at a stress between 2003 and 2014 -- but with a brief spell of President's Rule.

Nevertheless, Jamir has many qualities and political anecdotes.

Under Manmohan Singh when he became Goa Governor, one of the first tasks he did was to dismiss Manohor Parrikar regime despite BJP winning a trust motion in 2005.

Late Parrikar had slammed Jamir and said he was still behaving as a Congress politician from Nagaland.

Jamir was suitably rewarded. He was made Maharashtra Governor and also given the additional charge of Gujarat.

But here came a crux. Instead of confronting Modi, he 'befriended' him. I am sure, given the political wisdom of Jamir -- the veteran Naga leader knew he would be dealing with a future potential Prime Minister of India.

The friendship stuck. Is Modi's 'New India' slogan inspired by Jamir, I am not quite sure. But in mid-1980s, Jamir had given a similar slogan of 'New Nagaland' !!

When Modi became Prime Minister; Jamir was Governor of Odisha and he was allowed to continue till the end of his term.

In January 2020, the Modi government honoured Jamir with country's third-highest civilian award -- Padma Bhushan.
Of course, not many Congress leaders have been 'rewarded and honoured' by the Modi-led dispensation.

Jamir and wife at Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad

ends 

(watch for this space, in the blog..... I could write more on the NSCN (IM) statement and the 'relevance' of their allegation that RN Ravi is working hand in gloves with the veteran Jamir)