A Forgotten Crisis? Nagaland’s Peace Process Drags On For Years But Sees No Solution | OPINION
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) or NSCN (I-M) in a statement on February 12 said that the agreement it entered into with New Delhi in 2015 should not be equated with a peace deal signed with a conglomerate of rival groups to resolve the protracted Naga peace process. It must be mentioned that the Centre signed the Framework Agreement with NSCN(I-M) in August 2015 and the Agreed Position with the working committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) in November 2017.
The NSCN(I-M) said that the Agreed Position was a colouration of Article 371A of the Constitution of India, craftily handled by Indian agencies. It also lauded 21 MPs for writing to Union Home Minister Amit Shah a week ago, seeking an update on the Naga peace process in Parliament.
So, what were the concerns raised by the MPs?
According to The Hindu, the 21 Parliamentarians aired their concerns about the absence of a full-time interlocutor since 2021. They warned that such a lack of commitment could derail nearly three decades of progress in resolving the Naga peace process. They warned that the negotiations shouldn’t be reduced to bureaucratic manoeuvring without democratic oversight.
They questioned why Parliament has remained uninformed about developments since the signing of the Framework Agreement in 2015. They argued that the secrecy surrounding the agreement and the apparent deadlock in negotiations raise serious concerns.
The 21 MPs were from Opposition parties, including the Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) or NCP(SP), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Trinamool Congress, and Samajwadi Party.
But the Parliamentarians weren't completely right on the Naga peace process. One must appreciate those 21 parliamentarians for raising a very important issue concerning Nagaland and the Northeast region. The state of Nagaland has been waiting for decades for a permanent peace solution. NSCN(I-M) has been in talks with the Centre since 1997. Last year, the insurgent group had even threatened to walk out of the peace talks and return to the jungles to restart insurgency.
However, what is really unfortunate is that the MPs, who expressed serious concerns about the delayed Naga peace process, didn’t mention the agreed position. This is why, while the Parliamentarians were lauded by the NSCN(I-M), the Working Committee of the NNPGs expressed its discontent.
The MPs expressed concerns over the absence of a full-time interlocutor. But it must be noted that Tamil Nadu Governor N Ravi, who was the former interlocutor of the Naga peace talks, had stated in the Nagaland State Assembly in February 2021, when he was the Governor of the state, that the talks had been completed in 2019.
This statement by N Ravi did not sit well with the NSCN(I-M), which then pressured the Centre to remove him from the post of interlocutor. Later, the Centre removed him and transferred him to Tamil Nadu as its Governor.
NSCN(I-M) Not The Sole Voice In The Naga Peace Process
The insurgent group has long tried to portray itself as the only legitimate voice of the Nagas. However, it is important to note that the Nagas themselves are not a single tribe — there are many tribes, including the Aos, Angamis, Semas, Lothas, Tangkhuls, Zeliangs, and Konyaks. The current leader of the insurgent group, Thuingaleng Muivah, is a Tangkhul Naga hailing from the Ukhrul district of Manipur.
When the 21 Parliamentarians failed to mention the Agreed Position and only referred to the Framework Agreement, they indirectly portrayed NSCN(I-M) as the sole legitimate voice of the Nagas in the peace process. Such a stance undermines the NNPGs, who are also part of the Naga society and have signed an agreement—the Agreed Position—to resolve the Naga peace talks.
The statement by N Ravi, who was the interlocutor in the Naga peace process from 2014 to 2022, that the talks were completed in 2019 is significant. This statement definitely raises serious questions. If the talks were completed in 2019, why is there still no solution to the Naga peace process? Or is he indirectly blaming the NSCN(I-M) for stalling the peace process?
It must be mentioned that the NSCN(I-M) has been adamant about a separate constitution and a separate flag — demands that the Centre has been unwilling to concede.
Dialogue Only Way To End Deadlock
The NSCN(I-M) must understand that it is not possible for New Delhi to grant a separate constitution and a separate flag to Nagaland. New Delhi has learned from its blunder in allowing Jammu and Kashmir to have a separate constitution and a separate flag for decades — this decision prevented Jammu and Kashmir from fully integrating with the Indian state and provided a breeding ground for separatism, which later led to terrorism. That is why the Narendra Modi-led BJP government removed Article 370 in 2019.
If the Centre grants a separate constitution and a separate flag to the Nagas, this may temporarily bring peace, but in the long run, it is likely to turn into a breeding ground for separatism in the state. Furthermore, this could have a serious impact on the Northeast region and other parts of the country.
Therefore, if the NSCN(I-M) is truly committed to peace, it should reconsider its stance and coordinate with the Working Committee of the NNPGs, which is ready to settle with whatever the Centre is currently offering to resolve the Naga peace talks.
The greater responsibility lies with New Delhi. It is time for a solution. While NSCN(I-M) is employing pressure tactics, New Delhi must not buckle under this pressure. At the same time, the Centre should resist the temptation to listen only to the NNPGs — whom the NSCN(I-M) has accused of working on behalf of Indian agencies — to resolve the peace process.
In fact, the Centre should try to bring NSCN(I-M) and NNPGs together and, if possible, should include other Naga social groups, such as the influential Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA). The real solution to the Naga peace talks lies in cooperation and dialogue among all stakeholders of Naga society, guided by practicality. There should be no further delay, as the people of the state urgently await a permanent peace solution. The Centre, led by Narendra Modi, must treat the Naga peace process with urgency.
The author is a political commentator.
[Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP Network Pvt. Ltd.]
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