Having missed the opportunity to take a political initiative the last time round when both Th Muivah and Isak Chishi Swu visited India two years ago, now Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his government needs to do something extraordinary to convince the NSCN (IM) and also the Naga people that they are still committed to resolving the Naga issue honorably. For the Government of India there should be no more excuses and New Delhi would have to start delivering on the talks’ front commensurate with the unique history and rights of the Naga people. And given that enough of time and years have been invested in the peace process, the time is now mature to get back the peace returns. And for this, the process of taking decisions at the highest level should begin. Any move to involve the Prime Minister in direct talks with the NSCN (IM) leaders should be welcomed and seen as an accomplishment from the present peace process.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should now demonstrate his statesmanship by taking the required steps to end the political impasse that may be threatening the very peace process itself. Nine years and countless rounds of talk should be enough for both parties. It should be the contractual obligation for both sides not to reduce the peace process into a zero sum game rationale where no one wins. A collision course can be avoided only by giving some form of mutual accommodation. The choices for both the NSCN (IM) and Government of India are apparent. A full range of possible outcome or prospects must be explored and more importantly both the two entities should talk to each other while considering a diplomatic and peaceful resolution rather than a ‘costly outcome’ where no one wins. However, New Delhi should show much more sincerity then it is putting in right now if the nine year old peace process has to have any chance of surviving.
And for keeping the Nagas interested in a peaceful solution, it is high time that the nature of talks transcends beyond the rhetoric of high sounding assurances and become result oriented based on a win-win outcome for both sides. The Prime Minister should also not get caught up in the noise of dissension coming from within the establishment especially the hard line elements out to stall any design aimed at placating the Nagas but rather listen to the moderate sections working for a negotiated political settlement.
Hopefully, the Prime Minister will not cling on to the dangerous assumption that the 9 year old peace process should be treated as a zero-sum-game in which only one side wins at the end. Such a premise will completely ignore the political side of the peace process and reduce the problem to the ridiculous by viewing it as a mere law and order or economic issue, which is definitely not the case. Before committing anything on the talks table, the current dispensation in Delhi must also re-visit the basic premise on which the peace process itself began—which was to find an honorable-negotiated-peaceful-political -settlement to the over 50 year long problem. That the peace process has seen the personal involvement of at least four Indian Prime Ministers should also be taken as political mandate of the people in India who are in no way opposed to the Nagas having their rights honoured in a settlement.
