25 years of Naga ceasefire and peace talks – hope against hope for harmony in Nagaland

New Delhi: Around two weeks ago, after a long gap, New Delhi resumed peace talks with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) or NSCN (I-M). Continuing the peace talks to resolve any irritated or hanged issues is vital. New Delhi and Naga insurgents have completed 25 years of ongoing Peace talks. Too much lingering can sometimes bring negative energy.

Witnesses and interlocutors of Naga peace talks caution that one needs to tread the path of the" conversations" with an open and flexible mind, with the least expectations, with lessons learned from past mistakes and no public statements.

Naga political pundits also suggest that talks should be direct between collective Naga insurgent groups and New Delhi decision makers. Mediators should only play a Sherpa role of bringing the parties to the table and prioritizing issues of "barrier to the solution".

One positive outcome of the ongoing peace talk is that despite many ups and downs; despite the death of some top Naga insurgent leaders; change of governments in the State and Centre; change of administrative leadership and interlocutors; the negotiations between the Naga rebels and the government continues amid optimism and hope of reaching to the conclusions.

The NSCN (I-M) observed the 25th anniversary of the Naga ceasefire with the release of a booklet titled "25 Years of Indo-Naga Ceasefire (1997-2022) in early August 2022. It was July 25, 1997, when the NSCN-IM signed a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India. It was the beginning of peace talks to toil on trust deficit.

Since then, the people of Nagaland have been more open to development projects, travelling outside Nagaland and looking for advanced educational courses and jobs on the Country's mainland, mainly in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai.

One finds a more significant number of flights from Nagaland's Dimapur to the rest of the Country, hence more connectivity. The process of peace talks at least opened the closed and distant minds searching for acceptable solutions.

Talks have resumed

Breaking stalemate, New Delhi's interlocutor for Naga peace talks and former additional director of Intelligence Bureau, Mr A K Mishra, held an informal meeting with the Isak-Muivah faction of National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) in New Delhi.

A seven-member delegation of NSCN-IM, the largest Naga rebel group, led by senior leader VS Atem visited New Delhi officials to resume the peace talks.

The NSCN-IM delegation has requested the interlocutor arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Media reports suggest quoting a source in the home ministry.

However, the interlocutors first want to informally reach some tentative conclusions before the Indian Prime Minister or Home Minister could meet them and announce a much-awaited solution to the issue.

Roadblocks to the solution

Nagaland insurgents are struck to having a "separate flag and constitution (Yezabo)". Delhi is reluctant on these two issues and does not want to stir hornets' nest that would mushroom other organizations with their demands.

Nagaland Separatists demanded the unification of Naga-inhabited areas. Both negotiating parties are, to some extent, ready to be a little flexible on this issue to readjust/redraw the State boundaries, but not without the consent of the neighbouring Indian States and Nagas living in Myanmar.

The Meitei Manipuri, the majority population in Manipur, has always been cautious that in no way the State's boundary should be affected. In the past, violence was witnessed in Naga, inhabited hilly regions in Manipur.

Extortions or Taxation system of insurgents: NSCN(IM) and other insurgent groups in Nagaland have their method of taxing locals and extracting illegal money. People and the ruling government in Nagaland are fed up but scared to voice out against the separatists for fear of reprisal attack.

Church and civil society often intervened in the issues, but organizations are reluctant to withdraw as this is their only income source. This vestigial interest in collecting money over so many decades is yet another hindrance to the solution.

While interacting with some residents and students of Nagaland say that issue is so old that it has also affected some vestigial interest officials and security troops/intelligence agencies. Some individuals enjoy uninterrupted power under Armed Force Special Power Act AFSPA and are reluctant to any peace process as it kills their power and influence in the State.

Who are Nagas?

Nagas are Indo-Mongolian in origin, also known as hill people. Nagas comprises numerous tribes, estimated to be around twenty-five lakh population living in Nagaland State, hills of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. Scattered Naga tribes also live in the mountainous countryside of Myanmar, bordering the Indian States.

There are nineteen key Naga tribes, Aos, Angamis, Changs, Chakesang, Kabuis, Kacharis, Khain-Mangas, Konyaks, Kukis, Lot has (Lothas), Maos, Mikirs, Phoms, Rengmas, Sangtams, Semas, Tankhuls, Yamchumgar and Zeeliang.

What do Nagas want?

Greater Nagalim or sovereign Statehood is the critical demand of the separatists. They want all Naga-inhabited areas in the Northeast under one administrative umbrella, demanding redrawing of the border boundaries, including parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Myanmar.

The Naga separatists also want a separate Naga Yezabo (Constitution) and Naga national flag to maintain their identity and nationalism.

Nagaland State was carved out of the Naga Hills district of Assam and the then North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) province (now Arunachal Pradesh). The insurgency under the leadership of Angami Phizo formed the Naga National Council (NNC), consisting of different tribes as they have been fighting against Indian rule since India's Independence.

The Shillong Accord signed in 1975 led to a sort of ceasefire.

A factional group, led by Isak and Thuingaleng Muivah, living in exile, refused to accept the Shillong Accord. In 1980, this gave birth to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN). In 1988, the NSCN split into NSCN (IM) and NSCN (Khaplang) after a violent clash between the two groups. While the NNC faded away, and Phizo died in London in 1991. The NSCN (IM) came to be seen as the "mother of all insurgencies" in the region.

What is the Peace accord?

The framework agreement took over 80 rounds of negotiations spanning 18 years. The first breakthrough in the talks came in 1997, achieving a ceasefire between the troops and insurgents.

Shillong Accord (1975): A peace accord was signed in Shillong in which the NNC leadership agreed to give up arms. However, several leaders refused to accept the agreement, which led to the split of NNC.

Ceasefire Agreement (1997): The NSCN-IM signed a ceasefire agreement with the government to stop attacks on Indian armed forces. In return, the government would control all counter-insurgency offensive operations and allow them to live in specific areas or camps with their arms.

Framework Agreement (2015): In this agreement, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the Government of India recognized the unique history, culture and position of the Nagas and their sentiments and aspirations.

The umbrella organization of seven militant groups operating within Nagaland, NNPG, signed a preliminary Agreed Position pact in 2017, and since then, a lingering wait for the peace pact has continued.

On August 3, 2015, NSCN leader T. Muivah signed a Framework Agreement with the Government of India in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and NSA Ajit Doval.

The latest round of talk

The critical meeting between NSCN-IM leaders and Chief Minister of Nagaland, Rio and his colleagues, including Y. Patton, deputy Chief Minister and floor leader of the BJP, came within days of the September 12 meeting between the Core Committee and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

On May 9, 2022, the Core Committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Naga Political Issue was revised. Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio heads the committee. Other core committee members are Deputy Chief Minister, Shri Y. Chairman, United Democratic Alliance Y, V Neiba Kronu and other MLAs and ministers. It included leaders from NDPP, NPF and the BJP and met the separatist leaders to discuss moving forward on the rigid issues.

On the other hand, the Naga separatists, in their press release issued on September 15,  said that they organized their general meeting under The United Sangtam Region (USR). The meeting interacted on the ongoing political talks and the position of the political stand of the region.

"The house took the stand to reaffirm support to the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015, between the Government of India and National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), "read the Press release.

"The house also decided to support the decision taken on May 31, 2022, National Assembly and the Co-ordination meeting of the National Workers of NSCN of Nagaland state on August 26, 2022, "the press release further read.

It gives yet another chance for both parties to be flexible and move forward to bring more peace and a roadmap.
 
Way Forward

Positively lasting 25 years of peace talks is a significant achievement, but with no positive light at the end of the tunnel, long meeting gaps may further complicate the negotiations.

Both parties need to respect each other, suggest a practical solution or road map, and talk about the timeline so that future generations of the Naga population no longer suffer or have to live in a closed and confused mindset.

The government needs to readily look into the grievances and bring immediate relief to the locals even though much progress in human rights violations and accountability of troops is already there.

AFSPA is removed from several areas; if troops can be made more accountable and further AFSPA is subtracted from other regions can further strengthen trust.

The Centre should not keep any faction or groups of the Insurgents out of negotiations. Nineteen Naga tribes have similar cultures or histories but some differences and identities, and we need to stay sensitive to their needs and aspirations.

Work on economic and development projects is continuing, but it needs more thrust and visibility to ordinary people on ground zero.

Several suggestions and solutions are already there; what needs to be a priority is to work on the issues of disagreement first. Many times, local solutions to complex problems do work.

Lastly, with the political core committee, Naga youth, who have more acceptability in the church and civil society, need to build confidence and be brought into the talks.