Ceasefire talks between GoI and NSCN factions seem to be taking a permanent shape and the quest for an amicable solution seems to light up the horizon of Nagaland. As per inputs the banner of unification is being propagated widely by both factions though ground realities remain to be ascertained.
Both NSCN (IM) & NSCN (K) still hold a large inventory of sophisticated weapons and while the Naga civil society has been aspiring for peace and progress, extortion continues along with violence between factions claiming innocent lives and causing harassment to the local populace. Although a fine gesture of reconciliation and unification among the factions has been portrayed in the local media and through public message yet no headway has yet been made to arrive at a final consensus as major questions remain unanswered.
Peace talks with the GoI and NSCN (IM) have revealed that the issue of sovereignty has been squandered while NSCN (K) still holds the fact as right course of action. So how does unification take place with no common consensus on the major and basic issue of sovereignty holding out at tangents with views of both factions?
One has no doubt that to achieve the process of reconciliation initiative is required to be taken by both factions to come on talking grounds and sit together across a single table. However officially any such move is yet to be seen or declared except for tall individual claims being circulated in the media.
Breaking into factions in 1988 was a reality which holds good till today and the seed of violent separation has yielded fruitful inter factional clash which remains unresolved. Therefore standing on a common platform remains a distant dream. Let’s leave aside then all false propaganda and hypocrisy for unification. I presume that first let the mandate of peace prevail within Nagaland and let the public decide the future of the state while underground factions work together to resolve a political issue with GoI. If a consensus is difficult to arrive at, follow the guide lines of Assam where ULFA has left it to the bigwigs of the state (PCPIA) to negotiate with the Indian Govt and let the factions do some soul searching to get some common grounds which both can cling on together. Let us hope that factions will look beyond factional politics and formulate a must win outcome for both Nagaland and India.
David Sera (on email)
