DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 6 (MExN): NSCN (IM) General Secretary Th Muivah has expressed deep sorrow at the death of former Indian interlocutor for the Indo-Naga peace talks, Swaraj Kaushal, who passed away in New Delhi on December 4 at the age of 73.
In a condolence message issued on Saturday, Muivah described Kaushal as a renowned lawyer and politician who enjoyed high regard among both Indians and Nagas. He said Kaushal had taken an active part in the peace negotiations with the Mizo National Front (MNF), which eventually led to the signing of the Mizoram Accord in 1986, and noted that Kaushal was considered an expert on issues concerning the North-East.
Muivah recalled that Kaushal became the first official Indian interlocutor to engage in peace talks with the NSCN during their meeting in Bangkok in 1998, under the premiership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He cited a remark made by Kaushal during one of their interactions the same year: “Wherever they (the NSCN) are, we observe ceasefire, even abroad. Yes, very definitely. It covers Delhi and even Paris. After all, it is not that they will be killing each other in a particular area and discussing peace in another area. What is required is a conducive atmosphere for a discussion.”
Muivah noted that prior to Kaushal’s appointment, he and other NSCN representatives had held meetings with several Indian leaders including PV Narasimha Rao, Rajesh Pilot, HD Deve Gowda, Satish Chandra and NN Vohra, between 1995 and 1997. He said he last met Kaushal in October 2020 in New Delhi, during which they had a candid conversation. Kaushal, he said, was “a very rational man with a deep understanding of the Naga political issue.”
Calling Kaushal a “great Indian statesman and a friend of the NSCN in particular and the Nagas in general,” Muivah said his passing was premature and a loss to the people of India as well. He offered condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for the departed soul to rest in eternal peace.
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