Round The States

New Delhi, 4 March 2010

Peace In The North East?

NAGA TALKS BACK ON TRACK

By Insaf

All eyes in Nagaland and the sensitive and strategic North-East are on New Delhi where the good, old Naga talks are back on track. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, bent over backwards on Tuesday last to make a gesture to the rebel Nagas in their bid to end the decades old insurgency in the State. The Prime Minister personally received the NSCN-IM General Secretary, Thuingaleng Muivah and the Union Home Minister spent an hour with him broadly exchanging thoughts and possible solutions. The Centre’s new interlocutor, R.S. Pandey, former Chief Secretary of Nagaland and former Petroleum Secretary, has also had a quiet talk with Muivah, who arrived in New Delhi from Amsterdam, his present abode, on Saturday, with four other leaders. The NSCN-IM and the Government of India opened a political dialogue in 1997, when a cease-fire was put in place. They have so far held 67 rounds of talks, including a good few in Bangkok. The last round was held in March 2009 in Zurich.

Much in regard to the outcome of the talks will depend upon the willingness of Muivah and his colleagues to be fair, reasonable and practical. There is no question of conceding sovereignty to Nagaland, as demanded by the NSCN-IM. Nor is there any question of creating Nagalim (Greater Nagaland) by bringing the Naga inhabited areas of the region into a single administrative set-up because of the strong opposition from Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The Centre is willing to concede greater autonomy. But it does not want to create new problems elsewhere in trying to resolve the Naga problem. Importantly, the Union Home Secretary, G.K. Pillai, has made it clear that the final solution would be worked out with all the underground groups, including NSCN-Khaplang. Time is no doubt of the essence. As representatives of the Western Sumi Hoho (popular Assembly) reportedly told Pillai last week: “The common people suffer greatly in the absence of a peace accord. They have to pay taxes to the elected Government as well as the parallel government run by the underground groups!”

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Joint Action With Myanmar

Meanwhile, the North-East has reason to be pleased on another development—the meeting between Home Secretary Pillai and his counterpart in Myanmar, Brig-Gen Phon Swe in Yangon last month. The two have agreed to launch a “coordinated operation” to flush out North-East militants operating from neighbouring Myanmar. This follows Pillai’s team giving the Myanmarese officials maps of rebel camps located in Myanmar. However, as the Myanmar Army is facing certain difficulties, New Delhi will extend necessary assistance for the coordinated action. Apparently, rebels belonging to the United National Liberation Front, People’s Liberation Army—the armed wing of the Revolutionary People’s Front—NSCN (IM) are said to be putting up in Myanmar. Hopes of success are high as past experience of similar assistance to the Bangladesh army has yielded results. But much will depend upon the ability of the Bangladesh government to carry out assurances of full cooperation given to India during the recent visit of its President, Sheikh Hasina.

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Return Of Militant Sikhs

Punjab and its Sikhs, led by Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and his son and Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, have reason to rejoice. The Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram, has informed them that the Union Government would help Sikhs living abroad in exile to return home provided they were prepared to renounce their demand for a separate State on the lines of the amnesty package currently being drafted by the J&K Government for the Kashmiri youth who crossed over to Pakistan and Pak-occupied Kashmir. Said PC:  “If the Sikh youth want to return, having given up militancy, giving up violence and giving up the demand for Khalistan, we will certainly facilitate their return.” His remarks came two days after Chief Minister Badal had stated: “When the country is one, what is the harm in giving general amnesty to Sikh youth wanting to stern violence and join the mainstream?.” The ball is now in Punjab’s court. PC has clarified that if the Government of Punjab wishes to draw up a scheme similar to the one by the J&K Government, he would be happy to consider it.

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Trouble Brewing In Goa

Trouble is brewing in the Congress Ministry in Goa, thanks to the increasing lust for power and pelf among politicians. A small group of dissident MLAs in the Congress appear hell bent on securing a change in the State leadership. The party High Command has so far refused to be pushed around and replace Digamber Kamat, who was initially handpicked for the CM’s job. What may happen in the days ahead is, however, any one’s guess. The dissidents continue to send loaded signals to the High Command. They have even hinted at taking some “drastic steps”, including resignation from the Assembly, in case their demand is not met. The change could happen even before the Assembly meets on March 22 for its five-day budget session. Prominent among those mentioned as replacement are the Speaker and former Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane, the Home Minister Ravi Naik and the PWD Minister Churchill Alemao. A name acceptable to most in the dissident group is that of Vishwajit Rane, Health Minister. But he is more keen to install his father, Pratapsinh Rane, once again as the CM.

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Cong-BSP Spat In UP

The Congress and BSP are spoiling for another fight in Uttar Pradesh. This time it’s over the inauguration of the newly-constructed Ganga Setu—a 1,032.33 bridge in Congress President, Sonia Gandhi’s constituency, Rae Bareli. On Wednesday last, the State PWD Minister, Nassimuddin Siddiqui declared the bridge open by pressing a remote button at a hastily organized function not at the site but in Lucknow! He was originally scheduled to inaugurate it on Thursday. The hurried move was obviously to short-change the Congress on taking credit. Not only was the Mayawati government informed about Sonia’s plans to do the honours later this month, but the Union Minister of Surface Transport, RPN Singh was scheduled to visit the site on Wednesday. However, he was not allowed to proceed to the bridge near Dalmau and was detained by the DM in the name of “law and order.” The district authorities feared Singh was not going for “inspection” but to hold a function there. Whatever may be the truth, the turf war is hotting up as Singh has decided to give a notice of breach of privilege against the State administration.

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Secular Bonhomie At Godhra

Godhra in Gujarat witnessed last week what was badly needed over the years: heart-warming secular bonhomie and some blurring of the unfortunate religious divide in the State. Remember the Godhara carnage of 2002, when 59 people, mainly kar sevaks, were brunt to death in the Sabarmati Express at the railway station sparking off communal riots, killing nearly 2000 people. The eighth anniversary of the carnage, which coincided this year with Eid-l-Milad, the holy prophet’s birthday, saw the Samagra Muslim Samaj (SMS) hold a mass nikaah (marriage) ceremony for 34 couples at Godhra with the Hindus (believe it or not) performing something akin to “kanya daan” for the brides! Explained a Hindu college professor: “Salma is my friend’s daughter. I come to perform kanya daan and bless the couple.” The SMS kept the menu for the occasion strictly vegetarian out of respect for the 200 Hindu guests. Even traditional Biryani was dropped. But no one complained. The guests, for their part, chipped in with “shagun” liberally --- cash totalling Rs. 1 lakh.---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)