Search the Internet          Tips

Centre wants Naga cease-fire to be extended to Arunachal, Assam, Manipur

Nitin Gogoi in Guwahati

As a concession to the banned Issac-Muivah group of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, the Centre is likely to make another attempt to convince three northeast states to allow the extension of the cease-fire with the Naga insurgents beyond Nagaland.

The Union home ministry will shortly convene a meeting of the chief ministers of Arunachal Pradesh Assam and Manipur to discuss the issue. An earlier proposal in this regard was rejected by these states.

Joint secretary (northeast) at the home ministry G K Pillai said the government would like to reciprocate the NSCN's gesture of accepting that the cease-fire covered not only the security forces but also the entire population.

"Earlier, the NSCN was adamant that the cease-fire covered only the security forces and not anybody else. But at the recent meeting they have agreed to respect the cease-fire as covering everyone. They have also assured us that they would not harbour or help other militant groups in the region," Pillai said.

The question of the cease-fire's jurisdiction has been a bone of contention between the Centre and the NSCN. The NSCN even threatened to withdraw from the dialogue if the cease-fire was not extended to all Naga-inhabited areas contiguous to Nagaland.

The Centre and the three state governments were wary that extending the cease-fire to the other states could mean extending the NSCN's criminal activities against the civilian population in those areas.

"But the scenario has now changed and so we shall ask the concerned state governments to allow an extension of the cease-fire to their respective areas. The NSCN has promised to dismantle their camps in other states," Pillai said.

Another reason why the three state governments have been reluctant about extending the cease-fire to their areas is that the latter claims large parts of these states to be under 'greater Nagaland.' Under such circumstances, an extension of the cease-fire to these states could be interpreted by the NSCN as the government's acceptance of its claim to these areas.

The Centre's representative in the peace talks with the NSCN, former home secretary K Padmanabhaiah, had written to NSCN chairman Isak Chishi Swu that the NSCN must declare an extension of the cease-fire into these states would not be interpreted in such a manner.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report