The demand by NSCN(I-M) leaders that the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh be brought under one administrative unit has evoked strident protests across the rest of the region.
THE voices of protest against the demand by the National Socialist Council for Nagalim (Isaac-Muivah) for a "Greater Nagaland'' have become louder. In this, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh support Manipur's stand that the Centre should not disturb other States while trying to find a solution to the Naga problem. On the eve of their departure for Amsterdam on January 24, after a fortnight-long visit to India and parleys with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, NSCN(I-M) leaders Isaac Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, re-stated their demand that the Naga-inhabited areas in Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, be brought under one administrative unit, implying the formation of "Nagalim'' meaning "Greater Nagaland''.
The two NSCN(I-M) leaders had returned to India on January 8 after spending 35 years in self-imposed exile in various countries, including Thailand, France and the Netherlands. Isaac, the NSCN(I-M)'s chairman, and Muivah, the general secretary, had participated in talks with successive Prime Ministers since 1997, in an effort to resolve the five-decades-old Naga issue.
The Naga movement began with the demand for a "sovereign'' Nagaland. However, in course of time, the NSCN(I-M), the most powerful of the insurgent groups operating in the northeastern States, became more flexible in its stance. But, as was evident in the recent talks, in the matter of the demand for a "Greater Nagaland'', they remain inflexible.
The strongest protest against a "Greater Nagaland'' came from Manipur. On June 14, 2001, following talks between the Indian emissary K. Padmanabhaiah and the two NSCN(I-M) leaders in Bangkok, the Centre agreed to renew the annual ceasefire agreement and extend it to Naga-inhabited areas in the neighbouring States as well. On June 18, mobs in Manipur went on the rampage and burned the State Assembly and other government property because they saw the government's decision as the first step towards accepting the NSCN(I-M)'s terms for a Greater Nagaland. In a series of incidents following the announcement of the ceasefire, 18 people were killed in Imphal. The Samata Party-led coalition government headed by Radhabinod Koijam could not handle the situation, and Union Minister of State for Home I.D. Swami had to fly to Imphal. Eventually, much to the dismay of the NSCN(I-M) leaders, the Centre imposed President's Rule in the State.
In the recent talks in Delhi, when the NSCN(I-M) leaders insisted on the inclusion of the clause for a Greater Nagaland, Manipur was among the first to protest. And in a grim reminder of the violence on June 18, 2001, several organisations held protest rallies to garner support against any move that might disturb the territorial integrity of Manipur. The United Committee of Manipur organised a night-long torch-light procession and held sit-in demonstrations in Imphal, urging the people to launch a "separatist movement'' if the Centre decides to alter Manipur's boundary under the pressure from the NSCN(I-M). Apprehensive of a repetition of June 18, the Manipur government declared indefinite night curfew in key areas of the State from January 17.
Even as talks were going on in New Delhi between the NSCN(I-M) leaders and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, accompanied by leaders of the Opposition parties, reached the national capital. After meeting Vajpayee on January 21, Ibobi Singh said: "We welcome the Centre's peace talks but the parleys should not be at the cost of the territorial integrity of Manipur. The State will not give a single inch of land as part of the Centre's agreement with the Nagas.'' Ibobi Singh said that the Prime Minister had assured him that Manipur's boundary would not be affected by the Naga dialogue. However, sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), declined to comment on the issue.
Soon afterwards, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told the Centre that Assam would oppose any move to take away territory from the State. "While we welcome the talks, there cannot be any compromise on the territorial integrity of Assam,'' he said. The Assam government submitted a memorandum in this regard to Deputy Prime Minister Advani when he visited Guwahati on January 13. Advani hinted that the Centre had evolved a "formula'' to solve the Naga issue but did not disclose details. Muivah said that "as the Nagas have been living since time immemorial in their own territory, the question of staking claim to somebody else's land does not arise.'' He said: "Nagaland has been divided by external forces - the British - and now by the Government of India. Some Nagas are living in Manipur, some in Assam and some in Arunachal Pradesh... This is not our creation.''
Meanwhile, the influential Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad vowed not to yield ''even one inch of our land'' to "Nagalim''. It welcomed the talks between the Centre and the NSCN(I-M), but warned New Delhi against any attempt to "divide the State to appease the outfit''. The NSCN(I-M)'s "Nagalim" proposal involves all contiguous Naga-inhabited areas in the northeastern region. In Assam, such areas include the districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills, besides parts of Sibsagar, Jorhat and Golaghat. The Parishad, which is backing Manipur's stand on the issue, has demanded that the insurgent organisation should give up its demand for Nagalim. "If the State is further divided in the name of the peace process, a thousand Muivahs will be born in Assam,'' Parishad leader Apurba Kumar Bhattacharya said.
The NSCN(I-M) has staked claim to the four Manipur districts of Ukhrul, Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong, and Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The Congress(I) government in Arunachal Pradesh, headed by Chief Minister Mukut Mithi, wants the Centre to convince the Naga leaders to set aside their demand for more territory.
That the four districts of Manipur, including Ukhrul, do not belong to Manipuris (Meiteis) evoked sharp reactions from student organisations and political parties in the State. They termed the statement "communal'', and said that such utterances indicated that "Muivah's fight is against the Meiteis''. The president of the Democratic People's Party, Khaidem Mani, said that the statement reeked of "communal hatred'' and warned that Muivah could be arrested under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code for making a remark that might lead to communal flare-up. "We had initially welcomed the Naga peace talks. Now it is clear that Muivah's fight is against the Meiteis. Hence, the talks should be halted,'' he said.
On the eve of their departure for Amsterdam, the NSCN(I-M) leaders sought a clarification regarding Ibobi Singh's claim of an assurance by the Prime Minister that Manipur's boundaries will not be altered. Vajpayee's press adviser refused to say whether the Prime Minister had given such an asurance. "We are not saying anything. It is the Manipur Chief Minister's words, not ours,'' a PMO official said.
The Centre is walking the tightrope as any violent reaction in Manipur in the initial stages of the discussions might ruin the whole process. "It may upset the strategy evolved by the Centre, which is to carry all sides along,'' an official said. The talks might not fall through, as both sides are committed to a negotiated settlement. But for a final resolution, more rounds of talks will be necessary.
In a statement released before they left for Amsterdam, the NSCN(I-M) leaders offered to talks with ethnic and political groups in the region about the boundaries of a "united Nagaland". They agreed to hold a dialogue with the Meiteis, the Assamese and the people of Arunachal Pradesh. The statement, titled "Journey for peace'' and signed by the "collective leadership'' of the NSCN(I-M) states that "realistic boundaries'' should be drawn. Government officials said that the statement was aimed to reduce apprehensions and to "make future Delhi-Naga talks more inclusive and result oriented''. The statement further says: "We recognise the legitimate aspirations of all neighbouring people including the Meiteis, the Assamese and others... Let us end tensions between us... live as good neighbours... we are convinced there should be no differences between us that cannot be resolved through dialogue and understanding.'' Praising the Centre for its willingness to understand Naga history and sentiments, the leadership said that the peace process should remain above politics "for greater things are at stake''.
However, Nagaland Chief Minister S.C. Jamir has not been optimistic about an easy solution to the Naga problem. He has been insisting that the Centre's policy of holding talks with the NSCN (I-M) while ignoring other insurgent groups such as the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) and the Naga Nationalist Council will not bring a permanent solution. The rivalry among these groups runs deep and clashes between them are taking place regularly. The NSCN (Khaplang) has warned the NSCN(I-M) against participating in the Assembly polls scheduled to be held in Nagaland on February 26 "either directly or indirectly'' and said that the peace talks would fail unless the other groups were involved. The Naga Nationalist Council has said that "the NSCN(I-M) alone cannot chart the future course of the Nagas. All groups must get together and hold talks with the government... Otherwise, there will be more trouble''.
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