Feb. 22: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio is pinning his hopes on the state government?s peace panel to bring together warring Naga militant groups. However, similar efforts by influential tribal bodies appear to have hit a dead-end.
Rio told mediapersons at Guwahati that the committee, which was set up last year after the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) assumed power, would continue its initiative, iterating that the process of ensuring peace among all the factions was on track.
Rio?s remark came after a parallel bid by two apex tribal organisations to unite the groups started showing signs of disintegration. But Rio appeared unfazed by the setbacks suffered by the two tribal organisations and maintained that ?the talks are progressing smoothly and no one should lose hope?.
Efforts of the Sumi and the Konyak Hohos (tribal councils) brokering peace between two NSCN factions received a major setback after serious differences cropped up between the Isak-Muivah and Khaplang factions.
Dejected leaders of the two Hohos said after the fast-paced developments ? which also saw the NSCN (I-M) denounce the NNC?s proposed meet at Wokha last Wednesday ? that their effort was ?on the edge.?
The apex tribal bodies are now trying to arrange another meeting between the two outfits. They are even seeking to arrange a telephone discussion between NSCN (K) general secretary Kitovi Zimomi with his NSCN (I-M) counterpart. Sumi Hoho chairman Vitokhe Assumi said their effort could well be the last to iron out differences between the warring groups.
But members of the DAN peace committee said it would be too early to call off the reconciliation process and asserted that they would continue to press with it irrespective of the final outcome of the two Hohos? efforts. The committee would try to organise a meeting among the two factions of the NSCN and the NNC (Panger) sometime next month, claiming it has obtained assurances of participation from their leaders.
Echoing Rio?s view, a peace committee member said over telephone from Dimapur: ?We have had several rounds of fruitful discussions with these groups and people should not be disappointed by hiccups now and then.?