Issues related to the powers of the proposed Nagaland Tatar Hoho are on the table now in parleys between Government of India's interlocutor A K Mishra and various Naga groups.
Sources say while considerable progress has been made in the last few days on Naga peace talks, there are still deliberations happening on the 'powers' of the proposed Tatar Hoho.
It has been proposed the Naga Tatar Hoho would comprise a 46-50 member Federal Hoho, which would be upper House and there would be a Lower House.
"Except matters related to radioactive elements which have national security implications, talks are on that the Tatar Hoho may also get powers to legislate important matters such as Naga customary law, social and religious practices and ownership and transfer of land and resources," the source said.
New Delhi: Considerable progress has been made in the last few days on Naga peace talks.
Sources say the demand for an early solution now "echo" the hills and valleys of Nagaland and even some Naga inhabited areas outside the state of Nagaland and hence pressure is mounting on all fronts.
The Government of India is also "expected to deliver" at the earliest as in 2018 during the assembly polls, the BJP had pledged 'Election for Solution'.
Things have come close as hardly 12-14 months are now left for yet another round of assembly elections in Nagaland.
"The rift between the central Government and the NSCN (IM) over the issues of Flag and a separate Constitution cannot be allowed to prolong," according to a source and hence all political parties including
the ruling NDPP-BJP alliance have been directed to put things on a fast track.
It would not be advisable to link the Naga peace talks with elections either in states such as Manipur or Assam too, a source said.
The Assam polls early this year had 'delayed' the process for a while earlier this year while Manipur (with substantial Naga population) is heading for assembly elections along with UP, Punjab and Goa early next year.
"Political negotiations to end insurgency is a different ball game. Here there should be no place for 'Prestige Issue and Face saver' as long as you achieve solution and peace," the source said.
At a recent round of talks between one negotiating group and the new peace interlocutor A K Mishra in Delhi, it has been suggested that there is a need to come out of the existing system under which "the same
set of state politicians and 60 individuals with cosmetic variations" keep continuing to rule the state.
It is important to underline that after so many years of peace talks and over 80 round of discussions since
1997, it would be erroneous to sabotage the entire process of peace and development.
The NSCN (IM) leadership too has engaged itself for detailed consultations among all its cadres and 'supporting stakeholders' to work for the peace process and an acceptable solution, a source said.
An important consultation meeting has been convened at the militant group's Hebron camp.
The allegation of corruption and 'extortion' by gunmen from time to time have also reportedly irked the central leadership.
The central BJP leadership and the state unit are also trying to reconcile to the reality with pressure mounting on the state leaders to appreciate the ground reality under which already 'splits' are happening in some tribal bodies and pressure groups.
Tough job at hand
Among others, the NNPG leadership, which is for an immediate signing of a prospective peace pact, has claimed the backing of organisations such 14 Naga Tribal Hohos of Nagaland and the Nagaland Gaon Bura
(Village Elders) Federation.
"We at the grassroots level are committed to end gun culture in Nagaland through acceptable and honourable political solution," the Nagaland GB Federation said in their letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently.
A team of key NSCN(IM) leaders are now reaching out to all concerned for a feed back on how to handle things at the negotiating table as things have entered a key stage.
Former Nagaland Chief Minister S C Jamir, who was also Governor of Gujarat and Odisha, has lately said "....The more they delay, the credibility and the sanctity of of the agreements inked so far, the Framework Agreement of August 2015 with NSCN (IM) and the Agreed Position or Preamble of 2017 with NNPG, will go".
Ninety-year-old Jamir, who has been given India's third highest civilian award the Padma Bhushan in 2020, incidentally has been one of the signatories of the peace accord in 1960 that had heralded statehood for Nagaland.
ends
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| Veteran Jamir |
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