Bring all Naga groups on board
As the nation and perhaps the world’s attention is drawn to Jammu and Kashmir on October 31—when J&K will not only lose its status as a state and turn into a Union Territory but will also be bifurcated into two—in the faraway Northeast, a deadline of sorts to reach a peace deal on the longstanding Naga issue will pass.
Although it is not a deadline that is written in stone, a pact before the end of the month looks next to impossible given the hard positions the government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I-M) have adopted. The NSCN (I-M) is firm on the government agreeing to a separate flag and a Naga Yehzabo (Constitution), which the Centre can ill afford to concede. Less than three months ago, a separate constitution and flag for Jammu & Kashmir were withdrawn after the Centre dramatically nullified Article 370 on August 5. If the government were to agree to the NSCN (I-M)’s demands at this stage, it would certainly invite ridicule and accusations of double standards.
There are news reports that, exasperated with the NSCN (I-M)’s obduracy, the Centre could leave out the outfit and go ahead with a peace deal with the Naga National Political Groups, a working committee comprising other Naga armed groups. The NNPGs are rivals of the NSCN (I-M). It would be a pity if a pact minus the NSCN (I-M) were to be reached as it would be a recipe for failure. A lasting solution to the vexed Naga issue can only be found when all the groups are on board.
The Centre at first talked only to the NSCN (I-M), leaving out the others. In 2017, the government did well to expand the scope of the talks and involved the NNPGs also. If the Naga peace talks have dragged on for 22 long years, it would not harm anyone’s interest if there is a delay of a few more months. Or else it will face the fate of the 1975 Shillong Accord, which failed to end India’s longest armed movement.