Centre to convene meet with NE CMs

GUWAHATI, January 17: The Government of India is likely to convene a meeting involving Chief Ministers of the Northeastern states to discuss the issue of 'ceasefire without territorial limit' as has been insisted by the NSCN(IM) engaged in peace talks with the government. The joint secretary (NE) of the Union Home Ministry, G K Pillai, informed The Assam Tribune that the centre was likely to consider a ceasefire pact with the NSCN(IM) without territorial limit in view of the 'solid progress' made in the last round of negotiation with the outfit. The last round of talks saw changes in the ground rules for NSCN(IM) Government of India truce, which, the government feels will go a longway in meeting its requirement as far as the peace process is concerned. In order to improve upon the achievements in the last round of negotiation, the Government of India is now contemplating to give a serious consideration to the longstanding NSCN(IM) demand for extension of the truce to all Naga inhabitated areas outside present boundary of Nagaland. The government has been encouraged to think in this line as the revised ground rules for ceasefire ensures protection of the civilian population in addition to the truce with security forces. It may be mentioned that State Governments of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur have opposed the extension of the ceasefire area to Naga inhabitated areas of those states fearing that it will only help NSCN(IM) to extend support to armed groups in those states. However, the situation has now changed significantly following the January 13 negotiation between the NSCN(IM) and Government of India with the Naga rebels agreeing to stop any kind of help to other militant outfits in the region as soon as a ceasefire without territorial limit is introduced. Failure of the government to extend the ceasefire area to all Naga areas has been a major hurdle in the peace process so far. The NSCN(IM) leadership has been maintaining that there is no logic in implementing the truce in one part and fighting in other part of Naga areas. The NSCN(IM) said, "we are for peace, but if the so called Assam, Manipur and others opposed to peace, it is they who advocate war." When the Chief Minister of Mizoram, Zoramthanga, a former Mizo National Front rebel, met the NSCN(IM) leaders T Muivah and Issak Chisi Swu in Bangkok on November 8 and 9 last year, the latters made it clear that it was illogical for certain individual to say that the Government of India and the NSCN treat one small Naga areas as a 'peacezone' and other Naga areas as battlefields. It was disclosed by the NSCN general secretary, T Muivah in recent interview with The Assam Tribune in the internet.