From the jungles to the negotiating table : 17 years sans any headway
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: Ocotber 28, 2014 -

From the jungles to the negotiating table. Nothing much to show as a result of sitting down at the dialogue table for 17 long years.

This in short sums up the peace negotiation between the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN and the Government of India.

Partly indicates that the points raised by the rebel outfit are just too complex to be resolved soon and partly gives rise to the question of the sincerity of Delhi to hammer out a workable solution that is acceptable to both.

Most probably the points raised by the IM group may contain certain fundamental issues which may not be exclusive to Nagaland or the Naga people and hence the difficulty in coming to a resolution.

However 17 years is a long time by any stretch of the imagination and it is definitely a welcome change to see that both parties, the Government of India and the NSCN (IM), have come around to the idea that the time has come to expedite the peace talk and arrive at a resolution.

Must surely be sweet music to the Naga people on whose behalf the guns were first picked up and then the peace talk was later held.

However it remains to be seen how the two entities go about addressing the issues, which will definitely not be that simple.

Still difficult to say what is the core demand of the IM group, but looking at the noises which have been made by all its frontal organisations in the past years, it could well mean that there will be other stakeholders and not just the Naga people.

This is where Delhi cannot afford to goof up and acknowledge the fact that in trying to settle an issue, it should not hurt the sensibilities of others which can go against all that is known as universal truism.

Seventeen years of peace talk is a long time. A child born back in 1997 would now be about to enter the stage of adulthood.

A developmental project taken up then would now have seen the light of day a long time back.

Just some examples to demonstrate how long the negotiation has been going on between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) and the fact that the peace process has survived all these years should be more than indicative that both parties are committed to the agreement that was inked many years back.

Time now for both to show that they are intent on finding a solution and with a new Government at Delhi perhaps this is just the right opportunity.

The finer points of the peace talk may still be dim to the people, including the Naga people, but it is now more or less clear that the Government of India has laid down that any solution or agreement at the end of the peace talk must be within the ambit of the Constitution of India.

Not very surprising here, for it was not expected of Delhi to settle anything outside the Constitution. How far this will go down well with the NSCN (IM) functionaries and the Naga people in general is something which only time will tell.

However, it is noteworthy that Delhi has put a sense of urgency in the peace talk with the rebel group.

This is what should be acknowledged.