Karaiba Chawang
Kohima | June 10
Chairman of Ceasefire Monitoring Cell and Ceasefire Supervisory Board, Lt Gen. RV Kulkarni today said that there is no immediate plan to review the ceasefire ground rules, but, asserted that steps would be initiated to strengthen the existing ground rules, which has of late drawn flak from several quarters for certain lapses in its implementation, especially the failure to contain factional clashes in the civilian-populated areas.
The first step towards strengthening the existing ground rules, Kulkarni said is to ask the security forces and the state police to immediately take action when peace of the common man is being disturbed by factional feuds.
“Security force and police must act as per the ground rules when factions clash or the presence of underground cadres disturbs the peaceful existence of the public”, Kulkarni said, adding that he has already asked both the agencies to act in such situations.
Another step, which the government has adopted to restrain the warring NSCN factions from fighting in the civilian-inhabited areas, is to exert pressure on cadres of both the groups to move out of the town or village, except where they are designated to stay as per the ground rules, although this tactic seems to be a failure.
Kulkarni, who has reiterated on several occasions that his duty is only to see who, violates the ground and has little or no role in the reviewing process, said that he will ensure peace to the common men by re-stretching the existing ground rules.
And whether to review or not to, is with the Government of India and the NSCN factions, Kulkarni asserted.
Not only the public, but even the Assam Rifles has asked the Government of India to review the truce ground rules with the NSCNs citing that the ground rules does not favour nor provide requisite immunity to the general public.
Nearly a year has passed since this proposal by the Assam Rifles for review of the ground rules was submitted to the centre. However, the latter has not responded to the proposal till date.
