In what could be an indicator of the development of a gulf between the Union government and the NSCN (IM) with respect to the Naga Peace Talks, the latter – the largest Naga outfit engaged in the peace process – has leaked a letter it had written to the Prime Minister of India seven months back.
As reported by NDTV, the "confidential" letter comprised 8 pages, and was highly critical of the interlocutor and the Nagaland governor RN Ravi, and the Ministry of Home Affairs. In the letter, the outfit had also reiterated its demands for a separate flag and a separate constitution.
The outfit now claims that it hasn't received any response from the PMO's office.
A statement by NSCN (IM) reportedly read, "Seven (7) months back, Muivah (general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah) dispatched a letter to the Prime Minister of India. We deliberately withheld the letter from releasing to the media for public consumption as we waited with all confidence that the Prime Minister of India will respond positively. Today, NSCN(IM) being accountable to the Naga people hereby released the letter to inform of the delay and the lack of response from the office of the Indian Prime Minister to our people."
As reported, the letter written by the General Secretary of the outfit, Thuingaleng Muivah, read, "Today, we bring to your notice matters of serious concern regarding the activities of the ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and its agencies including NIA and Assam Rifles. As you are well aware, 22 years of political negotiation had started at the highest, i.e Prime minister-level talks without precondition and talks outside India in third countries. We had come to India on the invitation of the Government of India. We are totally shocked and surprised that even after more than two decades of political negotiation, the MHA and its agencies have become obnoxious."
"The latest episode of the MHA, which through a missive to the Nagaland government, questioned our presence in Dimapur. We are in Nagaland to meet our own people vis –a vis peace process…if our stay in India is no more welcome, all necessary arrangements must be made for us to leave India and the political talks be resumed in a third country," he had written in the letter.
It must be noted that the Centre and the NSCN (IM) had signed the Naga Framework Agreement in 2015 which was aimed at setting the stage for finding a final solution to the Naga issue. However, the effort to strike a peace deal with the outfit hasn't been fruitful yet owing to the latter's demands.
Also, the role of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs), a consortium of 7 rival Naga groups, has also become crucial in achieving a final panacea to the longstanding impasse.