NEW DELHI, Jan 4 — Confusion has again enveloped the Naga peace process, with a fuming NSCN(I-M) denying having softened its stand on the issue of sovereignty. The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, I D Swami unwittingly may have let the cat out of the bag, when he disclosed, what the Union government has been hinting that the NSCN(I-M) has dropped the demand for sovereignty. The statement vehemently denied by the NSCN (I-M) general secretary, Th Muivah himself may not have come at a worse time for the Naga oufit. What is significant is that despite the NSCN(I-M) blasting the Union Minister, the Union Home Ministry has been maintaining a stoic silence. What Sri Swami said in Manipur was known all along, as the government of India has had made it clear at the outset that all negotiations with the underground outfits would be held within the four corners of the Constitution. Talks with the NSCN (I-M) was initiated unconditionally by the then Prime Minister, P V Narasimha Rao.
Indications were that the NSCN (I-M) was slowly preparing the ground in Nagaland by mobilising the support of NGOs, church leaders and others and the ensuing meeting with Naga Ho-Ho was to be step in the direction of acclimatising the people of the State. But Sri Swami’s disclosure left the leadership red faced. Sources said that the peace talks with the NSCN (I-M) has been going on smoothly and chief interlocutor, K Padmanabhiah who returned from Bangkok last week forwarded a list of demands made by the NSCN (I-M) to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The demands included a separate currency, separate flag, condition of greater Nagaland and protection of the identity of the Naga people among others. Sources said the demands were under consideration though on demands like creation of greater Nagaland, it has been made clear that territorial integrity of neighbouring States of Nagaland would not be disturbed.
The Centre has in lieu of that proposed autonomy to the Naga inhabited areas of the neighbouring States to ensure that they themselves take care of the government and welfare of the area. It has been learnt that the Union government has been impressing upon the NSCN (I-M) leadership to return to Nagaland from where they would be in a better position to gauge the mood of the people. The Union government, it may be recalled here has already given an Indian passport to Muivah, after his Thai papers were seized from him. Significant is also the fact that NSCN (I-M) and the government of India has agreed on a time-frame of two years of resolving the political issues and in two years time Nagaland also goes to poll. The apparent aim of the government of India is to somehow involve the NSCN (I-M) in the political process. However, Sri Swami’s premature disclosure has forced the Naga outfit to toughened their stand and Union government’s focus is now trained on the Bangkok meeting.