‘Save the Peace’ conference adopts two-point resolution

•    “Establishing honorable peace is strongest foundation to secure basic human rights and civil liberties”
•    “Necessary to appoint an interlocutor who will re-establish the trust of the negotiating parties”

New Delhi, September 4 (MExN): Unanimously espousing that “establishing honorable peace will be the strongest foundation to secure basic human rights and civil liberties of the Naga People,” a day-long “Save The Peace” Conference organized by the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) on Saturday expressed dismay over the “derailment of the peace process.”

“This house is dismayed at the sudden derailment of the peace process, due to the wide trust deficit between the interlocutor RN Ravi and the representatives of the NSCN (IM). The interlocutor is a mandatory link between the Government of India and NSCN (IM). We resolve that in the interest of peace, it is necessary to appoint an interlocutor who will re-establish the trust of the negotiating parties,” read a two-point resolution which was adopted at the meeting. The resolution was proposed by Sandeep Pandey and seconded by Advocate Nilesh Ukey.

The Peace Conference at Dwaar Center, New Delhi, deliberated on the Indo-Naga peace process from its current impasse, and was attended by delegates from various parts of the country including Nagas from all Naga Inhabited areas, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, a press release from the NPMHR informed.

According to the press release, at the meeting, fraternal messages in support of the peace process were delivered by parliamentarians, social activists, intellectuals and concerned individuals at the conference. 

In his solidarity message, Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, Vaiko stated that while 5 years have passed since the signing of  the Framework Agreement, a huge trust deficit on the Government of India has been created due to a  “divisive game among the Naga political groups” played by the Interlocutor.

“I am constrained to add, is not good for the Nation at large,” he added. 

Dhuruvan Selvamani, Youth Wing Secretary of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) also expressed concern during his speech and read the solidarity statement of Seeman, Chief Coordinator, NTK, calling upon the “Prime Minister of the Indian Union to come forward to follow the clauses and conditions as per the Framework Agreement between the entities,” the release said. 

In his speech through Zoom, Thiyagu, General Secretary of Tamil National Liberation Organization expressed support for both points of the resolution of the meeting and accused the Interlocutor of playing divisive politics. The Framework Agreement that was supported by successive Prime Ministers of India hailing from different political parties is based on the principle of shared sovereignty, he added. 

K Venkatraman, General Secretary, Tamil National Movement also stated that “whether or not the peace process is successful depends entirely on the actions of the Government of India,” and said that the Interlocutor is “misinterpreting” Framework Agreement provisions.

A Social Activist and Vice President of Socialist Party, Uttar Pradesh, Sandeep Pandey also expressed solidarity with the Naga People and reminded that the founding members of the Socialist Party such as Lohia and JP had a history of intimate relation with the Naga Movement. 

He regretted that the Government is going back on its commitment expressed in the Framework Agreement, the release stated.

As per the release, Editor of World Sikh News Jagmohan Singh also stated that the Nagas have “repeatedly engaged the Government of India in negotiation to resolve their Political Demands.” He appealed to all “Naga Political Organizations to sink their differences and support the NSCN (IM) to achieve durable and honourable peace” while Paramjeet Singh, editor of Sikh Siyasat, expressed his support for the desire of the Naga People for honourable peace, the release said.  

A Lawyer from Mumbai, Nilesh Ukey stressed an urgent need to create widespread awareness about the peace process and that “all Members of Legislative Assembly of Nagaland must write to the President of India every month and request for the resumption of the Peace Talks,” the release informed. 

Tapan Bose, Writer and founding member of South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR), in his concluding remarks said that “Indo-Naga Peace process is an expression of the will of the Naga People since the NSCN (IM) at the very early stages of the peace process involved the concerns of the Naga People in the peace process through the strategy of detailed public discussions.” 

“It is regrettable that more than two and a half decades long peace process has reached a dead end,” he added, holding the present Interlocutor responsible for the impasse by “repeatedly trying to undermine the provisions and the spirit of the Framework Agreement.