Talks with NSCN(I-M) to continue

By Vinay Kumar

NEW DELHI, AUG. 1. After terminating the geographical extension of the Naga ceasefire agreement in the wake of violent protests in Manipur, the Centre is stepping up efforts to keep the NSCN (I-M) leadership engaged in a dialogue. Notwithstanding contradictory statements by the NSCN (I-M) over the past few days, the extension of the ceasefire for another year came into effect today.

It is learnt that the Centre's emissary, Mr. K. Padmanabhaiah, and the Director, Intelligence Bureau, Mr. K. P. Singh, have been asked to visit Amsterdam once again for another meeting with the NSCN (I-M) leadership.

Highly-placed Government sources said the two would leave for Amsterdam on August 4 to meet the NSCN (I-M) chairman, Mr. Isaac Chisi Swu, and general secretary, Mr. T. Muivah. It will be Mr. Padmanabhaiah's third meeting with the NSCN (I-M) leadership over the past three months.

The Government was said to be keen on continuing the dialogue with the NSCN (I-M) and not allow the ``temporary setback'' to snowball into a major issue. Sources indicated that the statements of NSCN (I-M) leaders in Nagaland and their angry reaction to the withdrawal of the ceasefire extension beyond the State was meant for their domestic constituency. Nagaland observers feel the extension of the ceasefire had acted as a ``unifying factor'' among various factions, NGOs and prominent social bodies in Nagaland but cautioned the Government to tread cautiously lest tension rose to a feverish level in the State.

On June 14, after talks with the NSCN (I-M) in Bangkok, the Centre announced extension of the four-year-old ceasefire agreement for one more year ``without territorial limits''.

Failing to read the ground situation in Assam and Manipur, the Centre was caught off guard as protests and violent incidents rocked Manipur; and even the MPs and MLAs were up in arms against the move, camping in the capital and threatening to resign en masse if the extended ambit of the truce was not withdrawn by July 31. Bowing to pressure, the Centre last week announced deletion of the three contentious words ``without territorial limits''. Though the announcement was welcomed in Manipur, it has created tension in Nagaland.

The Naga ceasefire, extended for the sixth consecutive time, ``is on'', according to the Home Ministry spokesman. Ever since the extension of the ceasefire beyond Nagaland was withdrawn, the NSCN(I-M) has claimed that the June 14 agreement was ``twisted'' by the Centre. However, the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, had stated in the Lok Sabha that the extension had been terminated after consulting the NSCN (I-M).

The Home Ministry spokesman said the Government and the NSCN (I- M) had expressed a desire to meet as frequently as possible to arrive at a mutually acceptable and satisfactory solution to the Naga issue. The Ceasefire Monitoring Group, comprising representatives of the Government, security forces and the NSCN(I-M), would ensure that the truce ground rules modified in January this year were followed in letter and spirit.

Though some northeast Chief Ministers were said to favour bringing in a politician for negotiating the Naga issue, sources said, the Government was not inclined to change the interlocutor midway and Mr. Padmanabhaiah would continue as the negotiator.

Meanwhile, the Congress spokesman, Mr. S. Jaipal Reddy, has demanded clarification from the Home Minister whether the consent of NSCN(I-M) was taken before extension of the ceasefire was terminated. The situation in the northeast was turning from bad to worse, he said and alleged that the Government had failed to control it.

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