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#1 NAGALAND: Resumption Of Naga Peace Talks In Bangkok Asian Tribune, October 20, 2004, Wednesday Resumption of Naga Peace Talks in Bangkok By R C Rajamani - Political Editor, Asian Tribune New Delhi, 20 October, [Asiantribune.com]: Peace Talks on Nagaland are believed to have resumed in Bangok Wednesday, according to federal government sources in New Delhi. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland -NSCN (I-M) leadership and the Indian federal government??s emissary are meeting in Bangkok for a crucial round of talks to further the ongoing peace process in India??s sensitive Northeastern state, the sources said. Federal government??s interlocutor K Padmanabhaiah is leading the Indian side while NSCN (I-M) is being represented by its collective leadership. The NSCN (I-M) and the federal government had agreed for ceasefire in August 1997. Since then several rounds of talks were held abroad and NSCN (I-M) top leaders came to New Delhi in January 2002. After extension of cease-fire for another year in August last following discussions in July, both sides are meeting once again to carry forward the dialogue process amidst Centre's assertion that Naga leaders should come to India for political talks. This would be the first round of talks after incidents of bomb blasts in the Nagaland commercial center of Dimapur early this month that had left scores of people dead. However, the bomb blasts were not seen as rebel-related violence. Among others, contentious issue of integrating Naga-inhabited areas might dominate the talks in the light of Naga NGOs' sustained campaign for bringing such areas under a single administrative set up. The demand has been opposed by the neighboring states of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. A five-member team, including the outfit's emissary to the Government, V S Atem would be there in the Thai capital to take part in the two-day parleys, according to reports received from Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. After being convinced of the fact that the Naga underground group had no role whatsoever in the October 2 Dimapur blasts, the federal Government is anxious to take the dialogue process forward so that peace is restored in the northeastern region. The talks with the NSCN (I-M) have been stuck over the issue of ???Nagalim?? or Greater Nagaland. The federal government is also considering inviting NSCN leaders Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah to India. This was also endorsed by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who has said that with the change in government at the Centre, the NSCN insurgents should be extended an invitation to come to India and meet the new leadership. Rio also sought a role for himself in the peace process by saying that he favored ??????direct talks???? between the state and the insurgent group as it was Nagaland that had suffered 50 years of insurgency. ??????Those (the talks) can take place in Bangkok or wherever,???? Rio said, adding that he had made this suggestion to federal Interior Minister Shivraj Patil during his meeting with him Tuesday. Patil, he said, was receptive to the idea. Hoping to meet the NSCN (I-M) leaders in Bangkok soon, the Nagaland Chief Minister said that he wanted an early settlement and ??????things are moving fast????. The Nagaland Chief Minister also briefed Patil on the ongoing investigations into the recent Dimapur blasts and said that it appeared to be the handiwork of the ISI, Pakistan??s External Intelligence agency or the ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam), spearheading a separatist movement in the Northeastern state of Assam. The federal government's decision not to reimpose the ban on the NSCN (I-M) and the likely arrival of Naga leaders for talks in New Delhi have brightened the prospects of peace in the northeastern State, according to observers of the Naga scene. - Asian Tribune - http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=11760 ----------------------------------------------------------------- #2 NAGALAND: "SOVEREIGNTY IS NOT A COMMERCIAL COMMODITY", Rh RAISING The Sangai Express, October 20, 2004, Wednesday INTERVIEW: "Sovereignty is not a commercial commodity" : Rh Raising By Witoubou Newmai at DIMAPUR Newmai News Network (NNN) : For the last seven years or so, i.e, since 1997, the NSCN-IM has been holding peace-talks with the Government of India and for any cease ??fire this is a pretty long period. Now the Nagas are eagerly waiting to know the outcome of the dialogue .What do you say ? Rh Raising : Well, it depends on the decision of the Government of India. The NSCN has already mooted the aspiration of the Nagas to the Government of India. The ongoing peace-talk is taking some time because there have been elements trying to jeopardise the peace-process from some quarters. NNN : If that is the case then interacting and convincing the top-brass of the Government of India is a must ? Raising : Yes we have to interact with India's leaders so that they understand the reality. NNN : Well, we are in the 21st century and things today are not the same as it was 20 years ago. Does the NSCN-IM??s interpretation of "sovereignty" in the 1980s hold the same till today? Raising : Sovereignty is not a commercial commodity that can be purchased at the super- markets. Sovereignty of India lies with the Indians and that of the Nagas?? lies with the Naga people and America with the Americans. Sovereignty is the inherent right of each and every community. So the meaning of sovereignty will not change. NNN : Say something about your interpretation of the term sovereignty. Raising : Right to exist as the people of that community inherited down the line from one's history is sovereignty. Sovereignty is the matter of recognition of the people. There are certain areas of sovereignty which are non-negotiable. NNN : But for how long the Nagas have to wait to get "recognition" ? Raising : The Nagas have taken the path of revolution. You see, revolution of any people or Nation is a life-time business and not a part-time job. And any development or progress of the Nation is brought about by revolution. NNN : So have the Naga revolutionary movement brought development and progress in the Naga society ? Raising : We Nagas are yet to achieve those things. But one thing I can tell you is that, it is because of the Naga revolutionary movement and strong resistance by the Naga force, we are gaining momentum to achieve our goal. NNN : Kindly brief on the Naga revolutionary movement. Raising : For more than half a century, the Nagas have been struggling to free themselves from the Indian rule. So far, 2,50,000 (two lakh fifty thousand) Nagas have been killed by the Indian security forces in the sweet name of democracy. Nagas have been tortured, Naga women have been raped in massive scale by the Indian security forces. To such an extent the Government of India has treated the Nagas but not a single Naga had been converted to become an Indian. How can a Naga be an Indian ? It would be a futile exercise for the Indian Government to try converting Nagas into Indians. NNN : Your statement has opened a floodgate for a debate but to prove your point that not a single Nagas has been converted into Indian, can you cite an example? Raising : Former Chief of the Army Staff of India General Thimaiah had told the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru that the Indian army could not contain or convert a single Naga to become an Indian. Because of the stiff and stubborn resistance of the Naga movement against the Indian rule, the Government of India had no other alternative but was compelled to sign the first Indo-Naga cease-fire pact in 1964. NNN : Some prominent journalists have been writing that the 1964 Indo ??Naga cease-fire agreement was the best opportunity to solve the Naga problem. What do you say ? Raising : Yes we believe that it was one of the finest and best opportunities to solve the Naga problem. But on account of the dishonesty and insincerity on the part of India, things did not work out. NNN : Were there some mistakes on the part the Naga leaders also ? Raising : Yeah, another factor was also due to the shallow calculation of the problem by the Naga leaders that we failed to translate the 1964 cease-fire agreement into a reality. Then it was followed by confrontations between the two confronting parties for decades. After decades of confrontation India sent some feelers to us for political dialogue. NNN: How did you react to it ? Raising : We bluntly said no. We turned down the proposal from the Govt of India . NNN: Reasons ? Raising : The feelers from the Government of India said that the talks should be within the parameter of the Indian Constitution, so we did not agree to that proposal. NNN: Then how did the present Cease-fire term come into being ? Raising : The two contending parties i.e. the Government of India and the NSCN came to agree somehow in principle that dialogue should be held without pre-conditions and that it should be held at the Prime Ministerial level and the venue should be in the third country. And thus ,the present dialogue came into being. NNN: Having come to the stage where both the contending parties agreed in principle to have dialogue was a landmark achievement but what were the hurdles that has led to the Naga peace talk dragging on for so long? Raising : We face lots of difficulties while negotiating with the Government of India because the "second rung leaders" of India are not well informed about the Naga history. NNN : But do you think the Government of India genuinely desire to solve the Naga problems? Raising : Circumstances will compel the GoI to solve the Naga problems. Trying to subdue the Nagas or suppress the rights of the Nagas will only invite international criticisms which will in turn divide India. http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/News_pages/Local_page-LL.html -------------------------------------- Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (CHRO) 3, Rams' Cottage Ambalathumukku Pettah Thiruvananthapuram-695024 Kerala South India Ph.: 0471-2476262 www.humanrightsindia.com www.humanrightskerala.com |
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| << October20, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]Manipur & Muthanga watch |
October22, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]Manipur ,Nagaland watch >> |
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