Imlisanen Jamir
There is an air of curiosity and some apprehension in Nagaland, with reports that the Government of India is set to appoint a new Interlocutor to the Indo-Naga peace talks.
The reports of a new Interlocutor come in the wake of RN Ravi being made the Governor of Tamil Nadu. Subsequently, Assam Governor, Prof Jagdish Mukhi, has been given additional charge of Nagaland, till a new appointment to the post is made.
This was announced in a statement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan on September 10. He was accorded a State farewell on September 15, and reports in the national media suggest that the Government of India has former Special Director of Intelligence Bureau, Akshaya Kumar Mishra in their eyes to be the new Interlocutor.
Ravi’s departure came a day before the business community in Nagaland imposed a day long shutdown to protest against illegal taxation by Naga nationalist political groups as well as government departments and municipal bodies.
Since his appointment as Nagaland Governor, Ravi had been blunt in his public statements. Among others, taxation was an issue that the former Governor had engaged in verbal sparring with the Naga Political Groups. This same approach was seen in his letter to the Chief Minister last year, which was eventually leaked. The letter mounted a scathing criticism of the State Government’s handling of the law and order situation in the State, and what the Governor saw as wide scale corruption in the government machinery.
The former Governor has divided opinions. His anti-corruption rhetoric and firm stand on maintaining law and order won him plaudits from certain sections. Similar was his public posture of trying to put back on track public infrastructure projects in the State.
At the same time, there was criticism of his inaccessibility to the media. This dichotomy was evident when the State capital’s press club boycotted Ravi’s State farewell programme on September 14. Meanwhile there was criticism of what was seen as the stark change in his way of dealing with the Naga nationalist political groups, especially given that Ravi was reported to be instrumental in signing agreements with the said groups.
Whatever may be the reason for Ravi’s departure as Governor, and perhaps as Interlocutor, a challenge and an opportunity lies ahead for the Government of India—to get back on track the State’s ailing civic infrastructure, economic dilemma, and the Naga peoples’ yet to be attained goal of peace and reconciliation.
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