The Peace process between the Government of India (GoI) and National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) enters into the 9th year with both parties agreeing to further continue the process through the extension of cease-fire by another six months from the 1st August 2005. In retrospection the intensive process of negotiating has its own strengths and fallouts with all its complexities. The recognition of the uniqueness of Naga history and situation by the then NDA government under the Prime Ministership of Vajpayee and the reciprocal visit made by the NSCN leadership on the invitation of the Indian Prime Minister to New Delhi for intensive negotiations apart from the opportunity to consult with different section of Nagas and neighboring communities has been a significant landmark.
The talks had earlier assumed a concrete direction when UPA Government took a positive step by appointing a group of Union Ministers led by Oscar Fernandez directly responsible to the Government of India. This has been seen as a contributing factor in sustaining the viabilities of accountability and transparency of the peace process. However, the recent choice of the GoI to undemocratically extend the Disturbed Areas Act once again raises its integrity and contradicts the principle of peace.
The recent extension of the ceasefire for a period of only six months could be an indication that there is growing pressure on both the entities to expedite the negotiation process within a time frame. While the NSCN leadership has taken steps to hold consultations to seek the opinion of people with reference to what may constitute a honourable solution; there is a wanting need for space where feelings of the people can be shared and articulated without fear and reproach.
The Naga public is growing weary and hope for a resolution to the unresolved political issue has waned. The recent incidents of human rights abuses involving some NSCN cadres’ only undercuts its credibility and corrective measures need to be taken promptly and responsibly. Nagas will have to quickly find an answer for a process in which the burdens of historical pains and political violence are addressed through democratic expression and organic processes.
The declaration made by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) last week to disarm fully and cease violence is a significant and appreciable step. The decision of the IRA has implications and it endorses the values to seek peace by peaceful means. In response as a sign of good faith the British Government has been duty-bound to start dismantling some of its military stations. This political maneuver enables the IRA to tactically broaden world opinion and support and unifies the idea to redress historical political conflicts through non-violence.
In the light of the present Indo-Naga negotiation process to find a peaceful solution and global transformation, is it not an opportune moment for critical introspection. Can the Naga aspiration to live as a free and sovereign people be achieved through peaceful and non-violent means? The Naga civil disobedience and non-co-operation move did not have impact in the early years of the Naga National Movement due to the India’s indifference and the world became blind to the thousands of Nagas who died as a result of military aggression.
However more than 50 years later, with Indian leaders recognizing that the military solution is not possible in the Naga issue and with successive Prime Ministers of India including Atal B. Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh affirming that violence is not the solution and with the international community’s growing intolerance to all forms of violence, the voices to seek justice through non-violence must become pro-active in Naga society.
The role of representative civil and religious institutions in Naga society is crucial towards this end. The maturity of Naga society to find just solutions through peaceful means to all issues that defines it existential reality is now at test.
Is it asking for too much to visualize a reality where the Naga National Movement has transformed into a non-violent movement; and the Indian army dismantled its military bases from the Naga areas?
