Mail News Service
New Delhi, Imphal Oct 16 : Chief minister O Ibobi Singh has said today that he wants to settle the Naga political issue once and for all. However, Ibobi Singh clarified that he was requested by Union Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to help and extend co-operation in solving the Naga issue but he was not in a position to oblige to the former’s request “since the ground on which the NSCN-IM and the government of India may settle is not known”.
“On what matter or on what ground the government of India and the NSCN-IM may sign an agreement, we do not know. Since we do not know what has been conspired in the talk, it will be too early to give our stance,” stated the Manipur chief minister.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an inspection tour in the outskirt of Imphal, Ibobi in response to a query said there is nothing that has the potential to cause unrest in Manipur by the ongoing Naga peace process.
He made it clear that his recent visit to New Delhi was nothing to do with a serious discussion. He was invited to share and cooperate with the Union Home minister as Manipur being a northeast state.
As of now, nothing concrete has been worked out regarding the issue so the people of Manipur should not worry and instead should maintain peace, the chief minister appealed
New Delhi’s main peace interlocutor for Naga peace talks, R.S. Pandey Tuesday said the peace process with the separatist leaders of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) is on the right direction.
“The peace process is on the right direction and I have held several meetings with them (NSCN-IM), but at the moment things are yet to concretise,” Pandey said over a phone after a meeting with the Joint Legislators Forum led by Nagaland Assembly Speaker Kiyanielie Peseyie.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, Home Minister Imkong Imchen, Leader of Opposition Congress Legislature Party leader Tokheho Yepthomi and Members of Lok Sabha Parliaments Khekiho Zhimomi and CM Chang were among the 20 JLF members have also met Naga separatist leaders – chairman Isak Chisi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah.
The Assembly panel members would be meeting opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar other political leaders cutting across party affiliations.
“They (JLF) have also come and met this morning to assess progress of peace talks and we have shared our ideas during our discussions,” the peace interlocutor for Naga peace talks, informed.
The NSCN-IM has been struggling for nearly six decades to create a ‘Greater Nagaland’ by slicing off parts of three neighbouring states to unite 1.2 million Nagas. The demand is opposed by Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
The NSCN-IM and New Delhi entered into a ceasefire in August 1997. They have held more than 50 rounds of peace talks to end one of South Asia’s longest-running insurgencies that has killed 25,000 people since 1947.
Asked whether it is a fact that peace talks have reached a final phase of deliberations with Nagaland getting a separate flags on the lines of the red flag of Jammu and Kashmir and the Naga Assembly will be renamed as Tatar Hoho (Parliament), Pandey said, “It is not good to talk anything on it now. Anyone can speculate, but I am telling you things are yet to concretise.”
On the other hand, Nagaland Home Minister Imkong Imchen expressed optimism for an early settlement to the six decade Naga political issue with the Indian government.
“We are optimistic for an early settlement especially after Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde showed keen interest in resolving the Naga issue,” Imchen said.
“He (Shinde) was very positive and very much committed and sincere to resolve the issue and he (Shinde) is also “exploring wisdom” as to how solution could be brought on the Naga imbroglio at the earliest,” the Nagaland Home Minister stated.
Meanwhile, the NSCN (IM), one of the most influential separatist outfits in India’s northeastern states, rubbished media reports claiming that the Indian government has secured a written commitment from the rebel outfit to remain within the Indian Constitution.
“No agreement was made by NSCN (I-M) and if any agreement was arrived at it would be made known to the public,” TT Among, the ‘Kilo kilonser’ (home minister) of the NSCN (IM), said.
He added: “Hence if any commitment of accepting the Indian constitution then that made it conditional, will not be accepted at any cost by the NSCN (I-M).”
Moreover, Among also maintained that no one is authorised to make such statements except the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Home Minister (Sushi Kumar Shinde.He, however, said that the peace talks between the NSCN (IM) and the Indian government is going on in a positive direction.
However, an intelligence official maintained that the Naga separatist leaders chairman Isak Chisi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah has committed to the Indian constitution after they accepted the Indian citizenship and now possessed Indian passports to travel abroad.
“They may say now that they are not committed to the Indian constitution, but they have accepted to be an Indian citizen after possessing the Indian passport,” an Indian official in the cabinet secretariat said on condition of anonymity.“We can now assume that both have come round to accept the fact that they are after all Indians,” he added.
During earlier talks, the NSCN-IM had proposed “a special federal arrangement” to enable the Nagas self-governance but the negotiations ended inconclusively. The NSCN-IM wants a special federal relationship with India, with a separate Naga Constitution, and would like the Naga guerrillas to jointly guard the international borders alongside Indian security forces.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/naga-peace-process-on-right-direction-pandey-ibobi-unaware-of-talks-details/
