GoI extends ceasefire in Nagaland extended by a year
The Union Home Ministry has announced an extension of ceasefire agreement between the Government of India and National Socialist Council of Nagaland/NK (NSCN/NK), National Socialist Council of Nagaland/ Reformation (NSCN/R) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland/K-Khango (NSCN/K-Khango).
An official communique said, “It was decided to extend the Ceasefire Agreements for a further period of one year with effect from April 28, 2021 to April 27, 2022 with NSCN/NK and NSCN/R and from April 18, 2021 to April 17, 2022 with NSCN/K-Khango. These Agreements were signed on April 12, 2021.”
The negotiations with the NSCN-IM have been on since 1997 when the group signed the ceasefire agreement with the Central government for the first time. In 2015, the group signed a Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015 with the government to find a permanent solution to the vexed Naga issue.
According to the NSCN/GPRN (R) it has extended ceasefire with Government of India till April 2022 and that both parties have agreed to adhere to the laid down ground rules for the ceasefire "in all seriousness and fairness".
A press release by the organisation said, "Considering the peaceful and cordial atmosphere maintained between NSCN(R) and the Government of India and to honour the Naga people's yearning for peaceful co-existence, another extension for ceasefire was signed, which is a prerequisite need of the hour at this contemporary stage of the ongoing Naga political dialogue."
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang (NSCN-K) was formed on April 30, 1988, consequent to an assassination attempt on the General Secretary of what emerged as the rival outfit – NSCN (IM) – Thuingaleng Muivah. Clannish divisions among the Nagas (Konyaks and Tangkhuls) were the primary reason behind the split of the NSCN in 1988. The Konyaks formed the NSCN-K (Khaplang) under the leadership of Khole Konyak and S S Khaplang. The Tangkhul faction, the NSCN-IM (Isak-Muivah), was led by Isak Chisi Swu and T. Muivah.
The NSCN-K runs a government-in-exile called the Government of the People's Republic of Nagaland, NSCN-K/GPRN. The General Head Quarters (GHQ) of the GPRN/NSCN-K is located in Eastern Nagaland (Myanmar). Kitovi Zhimomi is the self-styled "Prime minister of the Government of the People's Republic of Nagaland".
In a statement by GPRN alleged that Assam Rifles (AR) is “deliberately violating the Cease Fire Ground Rules (CFGRs) agreed between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) and Government of India (GoI) not to set up any camp at the Dimapur-Hebron Road”. It has been almost two years since the AR personnel began stationing at Doyapur which is situated on the way to the NSCN’s Council Headquarters (CHq), Hebron.
“The AR personnel under the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), GoI has deliberately set up an outpost at Doyapur without any regard to the prior agreement and has been keeping a sharp eye on NSCN members going in and out of Hebron. The AR personnel armed with guns and registry and assisted by the installed CCTV cameras and smart-phones fitted on their chests stops and checks every passing vehicle. Such a deliberate act of harassment meted to commuters in the name of “law and order” is a willful act of invasion and intrusion of privacy upon individuals and organisations despite no law and order problem in the area. The NSCN and the civil society organisations (CSOs) are keenly observing the excesses of the Indian security forces as the whole stretch of Dimapur-Hebron is absolutely peaceful and it only creates unwanted hurdles for the peace loving citizens while trying to harass and wage psychological wars upon NSCN by the GoI sponsored AR. Such acts of the AR are completely adverse to the peace initiatives of the GoI and NSCN.”
The statement further alleged, “AR personnel are checking and frisking commuters without following Covid-19 safety measures/SOPs despite the fact that the AR personnel had the highest Covid-19 infection cases last year, which is very alarming.”