Politics / Nagaland

NEW DELHI, March 2 (PTI): In a bid to placate the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) in accepting two other Naga factions NSCN (Khaplang) and the Naga Federal Group (NFG) in the peace process, the Government today indicated that the three-year-old ceasefire could be extended to Naga inhabited areas in the neighbouring areas. The response from Assam and Manipur Chief ministers PK Mahanta and Radhabinod Koijam were positive, home minister LK Advani told reporters after the two Chief Ministers held separate meetings with him and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But it has been...

NEW DELHI, March 2: While reiterating its Opposition to the demand of extending the NSCN(IM) ceasefire to Naga inhabited areas of neighbouring States of Nagaland, Assam Government has requested the Centre to utilise the ceasefire to engage the other insurgent outfits in negotiations. The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee as part of his consensus building measure today held a meeting with the Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. The Union Home Minister, LK Advani and top officials of his ministry also attended the meeting. The Prime Minister held similar meeting with the Chief Minister of...

KOHIMA, February 27: With the Government working on a move to enter into a formal ceasefire agreement with two more Naga insurgent outfits, all eyes have now shifted to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM) which has been holding talks with the Centre for three years and opposing inclusion of any other Naga group, reports PTI. The Union Home Ministry sources have indicated that the government could announce a ceasefire during the Budget session of Parliament with NSCN (Khaplang) and the Naga Federal Group. The NSCN (IM) strongman, Thuingaleng Muivah, had himself opposed any move by...

KOHIMA, February 26: Nagaland Chief Minister SC Jamir today urged the Centre to accord 'special treatment' the Northeast due to the region's peculiar problems, and insisted that the scope of Naga political talk process be broadened by including all sections of the Naga society, reports PTI. "The Centre cannot afford to treat us on the same footing as other advanced States in matters of socio-economic development. A different approach is essential and we request the home ministry to convince other ministers and departments at the Centre of the special problems faced by us", Jamir said while...

KOHIMA, February 25: In an attempt to broaden the scope for peace in Nagaland, Union home minister L.K. Advani today said the Centre was considering proposals to extend the current ceasefire to other areas of the Northeast. He said the Centre was considering the S.C. Jamir government's proposal to declare ceasefire with three other Naga outfits. The current three-and-a-half-year-old truce is between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) and the government. Advani said a three-pronged strategy has been chalked out to expedite the peace process and weed out insurgency from the...

KOHIMA, February 25: The Centre was actively considering Nagaland government's proposal to declare ceasefire with three other underground groups and a suggestion to extend the ceasefire to other areas in the Northeast, Union Home Minister L K Advani said today, reports PTI. Talking to newsmen here before leaving for New Delhi, Advani said 'so far there is a ceasefire agreement with one group - NSCN(IM) - but the Centre is actively considering a proposal to bring other groups under the purview of the truce.' Highly-placed sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said today that the government...

GUWAHATI, February 15: The growing links of the militant outfits of the Northeast region with foreign countries is causing concern among the security forces engaged in the counter-insurgency operations. Police sources said that at present almost all the major militant outfits operating in the region have foreign links and their leaders very often take shelter in foreign countries to escape the security net. Sources revealed that the first recorded links between NE militants with foreign countries dated back to 1960s when the Naga militants established contacts in China. In fact, the Isak...

GUWAHATI, February 5: Insurgency in Assam cannot be compared with that of Jammu and Kashmir as Pakistan's role in Kashmir was direct, said the Union Home Minister, L K Advani. Addressing a Press conference here today, Advani virtually ruled out the possibility of a unilateral ceasefire in Assam and said that all decisions in respect of Jammu and Kashmir are adopted taking into account the role of Pakistan. The Union Home Minister said that talks and violence cannot go together and the ULFA must abjure violence for talks. He said that the government of India is willing to hold unconditional...

KOHIMA, February 4: Although declining rate of killings among the underground factions is felt, the people are still in a muddle with the security forces and the NSCN (IM) unceasingly blaming each other for violation of mutually agreed ground rules of the ongoing cease-fire. The security forces charged the NSCN(IM) of violating agreed ground rules of the existing ceasefire whereby dishonouring the sentiments of the general public who are consistently yearning for permanent peace in their land. The security forces said on February 2, they intercepted a Maruti 800 on the Kuhoboto-Nihoku road and...

NEW DELHI, February 2: Union Joint Secretary home, in charge of the north east, GK Pillai, during an informal chat with a group of mediamen over lunch, a day after the conference on "Media in the Northeast under pressure" organised by the India International Centre in association with the Centre for Northeast Studies and Policy Research on January 28, clarified that the Government of India's position on the ceasefire with the NSCN (IM) has been somewhat misread by the media in general. According to him, the Government of India has never announced a territorial jurisdiction of the ceasefire. On...