Guwahati, Dec. 16: With jingle bells ringing in the background, the NSCN (I-M) is indulging in a bit of ?greeting card diplomacy?.
The ceasefire monitoring cell of the outfit has begun distributing Christmas and New Year cards bearing the message of ?peace, prosperity and freedom? among members of the Church, NGOs, the army and the media.
The cards are rectangular in shape and display the outfit?s sky-blue flag with horizontal red, yellow and green stripes in the middle and a white star on the top left corner. At the centre of each card is the picture of an angel blowing a trumpet, while the message is printed in black on the back. Apart from cards, the NSCN (I-M) has been sending a one-line email message ? ?Peace to you on Christmas and always.? ? to the people who matter. The origin of the email is supposed to be Oking, the ?roving headquarters? of the outfit.
The ceasefire monitoring cell had distributed Christmas and New Year cards among select people in previous years, but this is the first time it is engaged in what has been described as ?card diplomacy?. A person who had received a card from the outfit said the message on it indicated the NSCN (I-M)?s readiness to walk the extra mile for peace.
?It had sent greeting cards earlier, but those were the usual ones that you can buy from any stationery shop. This time, each card carries a thought-provoking message,? he said. One such message reads, ?In freedom, there is peace. In peace, there is prosperity. And in prosperity, there is freedom. The root is freedom. (Freedom is never achieved without sacrifice).?
Another pleads with the recipient of the card to support the Naga cause. ?Your conscious support to the Naga cause will reduce the suffering of the Naga people.?
The peace process in Nagaland is set to enter the decisive phase, with the Centre clearing the decks for the return of insurgent leaders Isak Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah to India for the next round of talks. On November 26, the Centre removed the tag of ?banned organisation? from the NSCN (I-M). Since signing a ceasefire agreement with New Delhi in 1997, the NSCN (I-M) leadership has held several rounds of talks with officials abroad. The talks have been ?preparatory? in nature, focusing on building goodwill and the modalities for the final phase of discussions.