May 18  , 1998

Nagas pin their hopes on talks to usher in normalcy.

By Avirook Sen

In a quiet part of Dimapur called River Belt, "Colonel" Phungthing and a few of his colleagues occupy an unusual office. A half-constructed building, it has a deceptive facade. Inside, amid the clutter of telephones, files and a fax machine lies a cache of lethal weapons. Care has been taken to tuck the ak-56 rifles, Chinese grenades and pistols under blankets in makeshift bedrooms. This is the office of the Ceasefire Monitoring Cell of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-Isak-Muivah).

"The weapons are an integral part of the set-up. We still can't afford to move around without them," says Phungthing as he sips his seventh cup of tea in two hours. It was only last week that the Ministry of Home Affairs appointed P.P. Srivastava chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Cell. Earlier, two meetings had been held to discuss the modalities. The intermittent sound of gunfire, an intrinsic part of life in Nagaland earlier, has been replaced by a wary calm. But will the talks between the Government and the militants bring peace? In Kohima, Chief of Army Staff General V.P. Malik says, "Nagaland is in its most crucial stage." The Army will continue its operations against the nscn (Khaplang), the recalcitrant faction that refuses to smoke the peace pipe. In a defiant gesture, the group carried out two major ambushes last month in eastern Nagaland. NSCN (I-M), however, claims to be the true representative of the Nagas.Due to the prodding of a harried Naga community, desperate attempts are being made to unite the two warring factions. Various organisations too have espoused the cause of unity. Naga Students' Federation President E. Ozukum says,"We are trying our best to bring about unification."

But there are two crucial factors:

Government officials dismiss outright the Naga demand for sovereignty and are confident that the ageing leaders, Isak Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, well into their 60s, will settle for less. But the public perception is different. "We are not here to bargain," says H. Mark, earlier with the "People's Republic of Nagaland (I-M)" and now part of the ceasefire cell. Government sources say that the only demand that might possibly be "considered" is that of "greater Nagaland". A larger state, it will chiefly cut into neighbouring Manipur. But any leeway given to the NSCN (I-M) may well boomerang. Manipuris are united on the territorial integrity issue and insurgent groups there, like the United National Liberation Front and the People's Liberation Army, are aligned with Khaplang. The Union Government's chief negotiator Swaraj Kaushal may say there are "no preconditions" for talks, but the reality seems otherwise.

The other major hurdle is political. In the recent elections, the Congress, led by S.C. Jamir, took advantage of the boycott call by other parties to return to power unopposed. And though none of the major human-rights groups or social and religious organisations "recognise" the Government, it still rules. Should the two Naga outfits unify, Chief Minister Jamir stands to lose the most. His affiliation to the NSCN (K) is known well enough for a Home Ministry official to remark wryly that they are really "dealing with NSCN (J)".

Meanwhile, there are certain ground rules which insurgents and the security forces are expected to follow. Among them is swapping of information about their movements. Though the NSCN (I-M)'s movements may have been curtailed, their "tax" collection continues unhampered. "It's our right," says Phungthing. "Will the Government stop collection of taxes during the ceasefire?" So, every village household pays Rs 110 annually as "house tax". Recently, the group also introduced a "loyalty tax"; by paying Rs 1 lakh, businessmen become "taxpayers".

The NSCN (I-M), to sustain the pressure, has demanded prime ministerial level talks in the final round, but there's still a lot of grey area to be covered. And though the mood in the Council Headquarters", just 30 km from Dimapur, is relaxed, the guerrillas seem prepared to return to the jungles. Their latest consignment of arms reportedly arrived on April 9. And depending on the outcome of the talks, the landlord at River Belt may just have to look for new tenants.

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