Dragging peace parleys since 1997 Tough line from Muivah

From 1997 to 2024-This is how long the peace negotiation between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) has dragged on. A child born back then would now be 27 years old and a strapping young man or woman of 27 back then would now have crossed the half a century mark. In between came the much publicised and the much talked about Framework Agreement inked between the two entities on August 3, 2015, one year after the BJP led Government under Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister wrested power from the Congress in the 2014 Parliamentary elections. Now ten years after the Framework Agreement was inked, Thuingaleng Muivah the general secretary of the NSCN (IM) has put his cards on the table threatening to go back to the jungles and renew the armed struggle against the Government of India. Still early to say how New Delhi would have taken to the hard posture adopted by the supremo of the NSCN (IM), but it stands that the peace process has taken a very, very long time and it is somewhat surprising to see that the peace pact has lasted this long without anything much to show at the ground. On the record, Flag and Constitution are the two hurdles reportedly standing on the way of a final agreement and one wonders what alternatives New Delhi could have offered to the oldest insurgent group in North East India. The alternatives that may have been put on offer have obviously not gone down well with Muivah and the open threat to go back to the jungles and renew the bush war would not have come without careful consideration. It stands that such a threat would have been issued only after due consultations with all the senior leaders of the outfit and herein lies the question of how and when the Government of India will respond to the open declaration of Muivah and his men. It should also be kept in mind that Muivah is already in the winter of his life and the I in the IM group, Isak Chisi Swu has already departed for the other world. The threat of going back to the jungles and renewing the armed conflict should also be considered against the backdrop of the fact that in the long 27 years of the ceasefire pact, the cadre strength of the NSCN (IM) must have multiplied. The burgeoning cadre strength of the outfit should however not be equated with the fighting quality of its men for 27 years is also bound to have added the extra adipose. A fact which would not have blown over the heads of the NSCN (IM) leadership as well as the Government of India. This fact too would not have blown over the heads of the Naga folks and if the open threat of Th Muivah becomes a reality, then anything may happen.
Better sense should prevail, for the 27 years of waiting for a final result should not be allowed to go up in smoke and one wonders how the different Naga civil society organisations, particularly bodies like the Naga Hoho, Forum of Naga Reconciliation, the different Church bodies and in the case of Manipur the United Naga Council, the Naga People’s Organisation, the Tangkhul Naga Long, Naga Women Union, etc would have taken to the latest development. What roles can these organisations play to take the two sides-New Delhi and the NSCN (IM)-back into the boardroom and work out a model which would be acceptable to either side. Manipur too must be watching the development with renewed interest for this is the first time that such a hard line of thinking has been verbalised for public consumption by no one less than Thuingaleng Muivah. The stand of Manipur is simple and clear. Don’t impinge on the interests of Manipur in any way while striking a deal with the NSCN (IM). Don’t erode the idea of Manipur. This is the line which Manipur has been advocating ever since the ceasefire agreement was inked back in 1997 with the then biggest ever human rally organised by the All Manipur Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO) on August 4, 1997. Let New Delhi explore all means at its disposal to ink the final deal without hurting the interests of Manipur and give meaning to the Framework Agreement.