Oken Jeet Sandham
The existing ceasefires of the Government of India with both the NSCN factions have become normal excuse for the State administration and its law enforcement agencies or for that matter the Indian security forces of their frequent failures in containing the factional killings, clashes, factional build-ups in towns and civilian populated areas in Nagaland. The public made numerous appeals to warring factions to avoid such build-up or clashes in civilian areas but without much headway. And when such fervent appeals become un-fructuous, it is natural to turn their wrath to the administration and law enforcement agencies of the state. And when the state’s lawful apparatus fails to contain, however preventable, such highly surcharged atmosphere, the civilians usually try to take the laws into their hands.
The incident in Phek town on Tuesday where the angry public chased cadres of both NSCN factions and also Federal out of the town and also subsequent vandalism to the DC’s office, pelting stones at residences of DC and SP is the replica of what had happened in Zunheboto’s Amiphoto Colony last year. Like in Phek town, the angry citizens in Zunheboto district too chased out cadres of NSCN-K and the NSCN-IM from Amiphoto Colony and also damaged the Zunheboto DC’s residential gate. The Zunheboto citizens like in Phek town also made several pleas to districts administration and also state government to ensure cessation to the hostility that had endangered the lives of the civilians in the areas. In Phek Town, the civil societies of Chakhesang communities including the Chakhesang students Union have been appealing the cadres of NSCN-IM and the combined cadres of NSCN-K and the Federal to leave the town as their presence and frequent clashes in the civilian areas created fear psychosis, besides disturbing the students who are currently appearing HSLC and HSSLC examinations. They had already warned the State government that it would be held responsible for failure to evict the armed cadres from within the civilian populated areas and that the people would be forced to chase away all armed cadres if the Government failed to do the job.
In both cases, the state administrations and its law enforcement agencies terribly failed to contain the situations forcing the citizens to take the laws into their hands.
Many a time, the rationality of the existing ceasefires has been questioned and the flawed ground rules in the truce had even been openly admitted by none other than the man who has been heading the Indian Ministerial team for the political negotiation with the NSCN-IM, Mr Oscar Fernandez. Even the Chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group of NSCN-IM and the Ceasefire Supervisory Board of the NSCN-K Lt Gen (retd) RV Kulkarni is helpless as he repeatedly explained his job was to call a meeting as and when reports of violence were brought to his notice. But he does not have power to enforce the ground rules, the ceasefires. In this, Fernandez while talking to the press during his last visit to Kohima assured to strengthen the Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanism.
By no standard of truce philosophy in the world do killings take place within such (truce) period. One may argue here that the existing ground rules do not prevent the factions from killing each other or clashing with each other. Then will it be wrong to conclude that the very ceasefire of Government of India with the NSCN factions is simply giving a “license to kill each other (among the factions)”?
The central premise of the ceasefire as in the present framework is to create a platform conducive for political negotiation. Now, is this ceasefire serving the purpose? The answer is “no.” In fact, the unrestrained factional violence will become one of the major factors to destroy not only the very political platform but also the very fabric of the Naga political movement.
Unlike the past when both factions did not have ceasefires with New Delhi, the general public now somehow feel free to contact the leaderships of various Naga underground outfits. This is a rather unique opportunity for the Naga people have wider consultation and also to narrow down the gap. Unfortunately, this does not take place as the factions refuse to stop attacking each other, although they have ceasefire with New Delhi.
One wonders whether the State Government should remain silent on such dangerous development just because there are ceasefires between the Government of India and the factions of the NSCN. Now the fundamental question is who will intervene into when the factions kill each other or clash each other? Simply saying let them fight in the jungles not in civilian populated areas is even illogical in true sense of the term.
Is it wrong for the security forces to intervene into such dangerous situation or will their actions in case of intervening into such situation be treated as illegal? It will be simply unthinkable if one blames security forces for preventing factions from creating any factional related violence. Intervention is not an attack; while also anything that is a threat to the public peace and tranquility, and then law enforcement agencies should have to step in.
Although it is remarkable that the State Assembly Speaker K Peseyie had once convened a Joint Consultative Meet of State Legislators to discuss the prevailing frequent factional clashes and killings in the State and all present agreeing to urge the Government of India and the parties concerned for rectification of the existing ceasefire ground rules, things still remain the same. Thus the people of the State should also play their part by raising their voice that they need a ceasefire from New Delhi that prevents the factions from attacking each other.
Once such clause is incorporated in the existing ceasefires, this will solve to a great extent because it will become statutory for the parties.
