Peace Talks heading towards One Solution, One Agreement ?
New Delhi
The most crucial and last phases of the Naga peace parleys are going on expected lines.
The NSCN (IM) delegation interaction with new peace emissary A K Mishra could continue till the weekend.
The PMO is monitoring the progress and all talks and negotiations on contentious issues are in "tune with BJP's nationalist philosophy".
Those in the know of things say - "While being nationalist to the core that is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's forte, efforts are on to keep things practical....It is a season of cautious walk, no adventurism and no occasion of breaking the ceilings".
All sorts of precautions are there from both sides and there is a strict diktat that nothing should
come out in the press which could even get half-a-chance of "diluting and derailing the chances of
solution".
It could be a matter of concern in some quarters that in addition to hurdles from within including a
section of Nagaland state politics, the Chinese agencies are also reportedly keeping a close watch on the
process of peace talks and "latest developments".
Sources say 'news bulletins' vis-a-vis Naga talks between "NSCN and GoI emissary Mishra" in Mandarin languages
are being circulated on social media. Some of it could be to done 'deliberately' to generate a hype.
Giving the contest, the source said in 2020 such attempts were made by foreign hands in the neighbourhood.
It was on Sept 18, 2020 that the NSCN-IM issued a formal statement talking about it's demand for Flag and a separate Constitution.
Sources said also during the UPA regime in 2011-12, Chinese agents including
a woman posing as a TV journalist reportedly visited the headquarters of the NSCN-IM near Dimapur and
held a three-hour-long meeting with top leaders.
The phrase 'Civil Flag' as propagated by some UDA leaders is in circulation among the stakeholders
in the corridors of power in Delhi also. However, no further details are being leaked out as of now.
The proposed meeting between the Core Committee of legislators and ministers led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio
and the NNPG on Friday at Dimapur would be also crucial, a source claimed.
Not long ago, sources say - the NSCN (IM) leaders told journalists that they have great respect for
"Chinese leaders and Chinese people....They tried to understand our point of view".
Old timers among the security agency sleuths say in 1966-67, China not only had backed
the Naxalites uprising in parts of West Bengal, in the same year Thuingaleng Muivah and his other colleagues
went to Yunnan province. The Naga group was even initially called 'Naga National Volunteers'.
NPC president and senior regionalist Shurhozelie is also camping in Delhi but sources claimed
he is in the capital for routine medical check up.
ends
#Nagaland #Peace talks #Core Committee led by CM @Neiphiu_Rio to meet #NNPG on Sept 23..... But what's so big deal about it....problem is elsewhere?
Push for it ....
If I am 'NNPG', i would say 'Thank You Team Rio.... misa misi ki katha kobo ho'
New Delhi
This group is generally known for strong affinity and 'even friendship' with some Naga rebel leaders.
They wanted the Naga peace talks process to continue but did they really favour a solution?
So every time there was turmoil, some blame game and some bureaucratic mess; a group of Indian intelligentsia would be allegedly in a tiring hurry to pass judgement.
The verdict generally - the talks may fail; BJP's intolerance in the mainstream would also make Nagas 'intolerant' of non-Nagas etc etc !
One such refrain that left even intelligence agencies puzzled was not along ago - "The failure of the Indo-Naga peace process is very much like the story Gabriel Garcia Marquez tells....".
What was this lobby's interest to spread the news faster than 'reality' that the talks have 'failed' is at best anybody's guess and would go down the memory lane as a 'fantastic puzzle' of our time.
One educationist from JNU (often in headlines for anti-Modi episodes) was quoted as saying - "...an early solution to the Naga problem is not in sight". The same intellectuals never bothered to question NSCN-IM the logic behind demanding a Flag and a Constitution when the no Indian Prime Minister worth his salt could give such things.
Notably, as of now this school of wisdom is silent. And that could be a matter of concern, say sources.
Some of these players including some leading newspapers known for their well known
left-liberal leaning have problems with a man called Narendra Modi.
Hence, sources say, they would not want PM Narendra Modi -- much aligned but politically successful - to
add another feather in his cap. On the other hand, Modi admirers believe this is the best Indian Prime Minister
to deliver a solution on the vexed Naga issue.
Veteran S C Jamir diagnoses PM Modi as a decisive man with determination. "The best thing is ...he can take
decisions," said Jamir, a former Gujarat Governor, in November 2021.
Other players too have been generally forgotten but they had played a thankless role in making
the Naga peace talks a reality.
Former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao's name comes foremost. So would be Late Rajesh Pilot, illustrious
father of Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot.
The country seldom remembers Narasimha Rao's stint as the Prime Minister. His stint would be remembered
for demotion of Babri Masjid. But he was the real pioneer in initiating Naga peace
talks. He met Late Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah in Paris in July 1995 and set the ball rolling.
Rao was the first Prime Minister who allowed 'unconditional talks' and it was his groundwork that was later harvested
by his two 'weak United Front successors' H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral.
** Michael Van Walt, a Dutch lawyer
An expert on Tibet, Michael has also worked as 'advisor' to the Dalai Lama. The NSCN-IM leadership, especially
Thuingaleng Muivah had much faith in Michael.
Indian agencies later said Michael "lacked knowledge on the complexities and flexibility" of the
Indian constitution and even discouraged Muivah and Isak Chisi Swu to study Indian Constitution.
Naga leaders were too happy to oblige him as they believed the solution would come ‘outside’ the framework of
the Indian Constitution. Hence, all these debates and 'stalled talks' etc over Constitution do have some
reasons.
** Former Congress neta Oscar Fernandes had the sensibility to work sensibly and he could have shown
results had the Manmohan Singh government really backed him. Many say, R N Ravi was fortunate to work
as 'negotiator' under PM Narendra Modi.
During the UPA regime, chief interlocutor Oscar Fernandes had claimed after the Bangkok meet that
the two sides had agreed on a “broad framework”, whereby they would jointly study the Indian Constitution to decide
which parts to be suitably "applied with modifications to resolve the Naga issue".
But the NSCN-IM withdrew from it unilaterally and grapevine is the same formula was later applied by
R N Ravi and NNPG to work on the Status Papers and the Agreed Position of 2017.
Oscar also tried to work on UT status for parts of Manipur.
** Grinder Muivah
Grinder Muivah, the nephew of NSCN (I-M) general secretary, died of a stroke in Delhi on April 6, 2016.
It's ironical that he is not around today when the peace talks have made some progress.
Its true; volumes have been written about Thuingaleng Muivah, but much less on someone called Grinder Muivah.
Sources say he first put in the 'idea' of peace talks in 1994-95 with the then MoS Internal Security Rajesh Pilot.
Senior Muivah was arrested in Bangkok for traveling with a false passport in 2000. Grinder Muivah, who became a
dependable 'go-between' between uncles and Indian officials, was also arrested in Kolkata on a charge that he was
trying to 'hijack a plane' from Mizoram capital Aizawl to rescue Muivah in Bangkok.
Grinder later reportedly struck a deal with a section of central government officials and he was declared
not guilty and discharged by a court.
** Meiteis and Manipur state
Of three northeastern states which have sizable Naga population, Manipur is a chief player in one way or the other in these parleys. Meitei leaders and for that matter even Naga Chief Minister of Manipur (Rishang Keishing) would always swear by 'territorial unity' of Manipur state.
This created complexities and hardly anyone around who can resolve this. For Manipur state, the extension of ceasefire as was proposed in 2000 to Manipur was a 'de facto division' of the land. The Imphal valley burnt for days.
For the Nagas, ‘Nagaland’ also often means Nagalim. Others call it 'Greater Nagaland'. These words and
phrases generate angry outbursts in Manipur.
Once Ibobi Singh played 'savior' of Meitei pride and gradually the cap is now with Chief Minister N Biren Singh of BJP.
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