Why peace in Nagaland is still a distant dream

On 26, August 2012, the Naga Students Federation (NSF) reiterated its stand to play a supportive role towards bringing an 'honourable, acceptable and workable settlement' for the Naga community not compromising with its motto 'For Unified Lim and Glory of Nagas'. This was resolved at a joint consultative meeting of senior leaders, federal and subordinate units held at Japhu Hotel, Kohima on 24 August. A lot of  negotiation and convincing must have been done by National Socialist Council of Nagaland, Nagalim-Issac, Muivah faction for this stage to be reached.

Because, on 2 April, a rally organised by the Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) and supported by several other Naga organisations saw thousands of Naga youths taking to the streets in Kohima district to protest against unabated extortion, abductions, ransom calls and fratricidal killings by the Naga militant groups that have claimed thousands of innocent lives in the past decades. And all these criminal activities have continued despite fifteen years of ceasefire and peace talks between the main group NSCN-IM and the Government of India.

AYO also submitted a memorandum to Nagaland home minister Imkong L. Imchen asking the Government to clamp down on these groups which have been causing anguish to people. It also demanded that all factions/militants strictly adhere to the ceasefire ground rules, that militants be evicted from civilian areas where they have been openly moving about with sophisticated weapons and wearing their ‘uniforms’ and be kept confined to their designated camps.

On 1 August, it had been reported that just before his handing over of the portfolio, P Chidambaram had briefed media in New Delhi that the ongoing peace talks between the NSCN (IM) leadership and govt had reached a ‘sensitive stage’ and efforts were on to iron out a long standing solution to the over six decades old Naga political problem.