Naga Hoho & CNBC Urge Centre To Extend Ceasefire To Naga Areas

Absence of a transparent and impartial ceasefire monitoring mechanism and arbitary decisions taken by both security forces and NSCN(IM) on ground rules have shaken the faith of Nagas in the success of the current peace process

S.D. Kapur

Updated on: 24 May 2001 12:00 am

The organisations of Naga Tribes and Churches have urged the prime minister to extend the current ceasefire between centre and NSCN(IM) to Naga inhabited areas beyond Nagaland asserting that the "core issues" of Naga political problem should be addressed by the centre in the "correct perspective".

In a joint memorandum to the prime minister, Naga Hoho, apex tribal council, and Council of Naga Baptist Churches (CNBC) said "ceasefire and peace are people's aspirations and the demand to extend ceasefire area coverage by NSCN(IM) is a positive approach. Therefore, we recommend that ceasefire area be extended to all naga inhabited areas in the spirit of the past ceasefire agreement of 1964".

Naga Hoho president M.Vero and CNBC general secretary Rev.V.K. Nuh recently met home ministry officials and prime minister's principal secretary Brajesh Mishra and submitted the memorandum. They also met chief negotiator to Naga political talks K. Padmanabhaih before his departure to Bangkok to hold crucial talks with NSCN(IM) leaders on ceasefire which expires on July 31.

NSCN(IM) had earlier threatened to pull out of the current ceasefire charging the centre of backtracking from its commitment on extension of the truce to other Naga areas.

Calling complete ceasefire a prerequisite to holding any talks to settle the decades old issue, both Hoho and CNBC asserted that absence of a transparent and impartial ceasefire monitoring mechanism and arbitary decisions taken by both security forces and NSCN(IM) on ground rules have shaken the faith of Nagas in the success of the current peace process.

"This has been brought to its zenith with NSCN(IM) demanding a review of the ceasefire within a very short stipulated time", they observed.

Stating that NSCN(IM) definitely has its own "weakness and lapses", the Hoho and CNBC however, maintained "they are right when they say ceasefire must cover all Naga areas or wherever Nagas are".

The first-ever ceasefire between Naga National Council (Federal) and the centre, which came into effect in 1964 encompassed entire Naga inhabited areas of the region.

While accepting the anxieties and difficulties of the centre they asserted that the solution to the conflict can come about only when the core issues are sincerely and decisively addressed with correct perspective.