IT News
New Delhi/Dimapur, April 21:
Two months after the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) [NSCN-IM] signalled a tentative willingness to resume peace talks with the Government of India following a meeting with the Centre’s interlocutor A.K. Mishra, there has been little progress in rekindling formal dialogue. The prolonged silence has now given rise to a renewed push for a unified approach among all Naga political groups.
Sources tracking the developments indicate growing momentum behind the proposal to create a common platform for negotiations, where the various Naga factions—including the NSCN-IM and the Naga National Political Groups (NNPG)—would negotiate based on a single draft agreement. The logic is rooted in the premise that there can only be one final peace accord to bring closure to the decades-old Naga political issue.
Observers argue that any consolidated draft would necessarily need to draw from the August 2015 Framework Agreement signed between the NSCN-IM and the Government of India, and the 2017 Agreed Position reached between the Centre and the NNPG. However, it remains uncertain whether the major stakeholders, especially the NSCN-IM, are willing to endorse or work towards such a unified draft at this juncture.
For the record, there are currently around 20 Naga rebel groups and factions, including eight under the NSCN banner, with most having entered ceasefire arrangements with the Government of India. The NSCN-IM remains the most influential faction, both politically and militarily. Despite the ceasefire, sharp differences in ideology and vision for a final resolution continue to separate the NSCN-IM from other factions, complicating the path toward a common understanding.
Sources in security and political circles suggest that New Delhi is likely to prepare a preliminary draft agreement and may opt to engage each faction separately before exploring the possibility of a joint negotiation table. However, officials caution that reaching such a stage would be fraught with challenges unless the NSCN-IM and other groups demonstrate willingness to cooperate on core demands, including issues of sovereignty, integration of Naga-inhabited areas, and a shared administrative structure.
As things stand, the ball appears to be firmly in the court of the Naga groups themselves. Without internal cohesion and a readiness to converge on a unified framework, a comprehensive and lasting Naga peace accord may remain elusive.
Political analysts warn that prolonged delay and uncertainty could stir fresh discontent and lead to unforeseen developments in the Naga insurgency and socio-political landscape. The coming weeks may prove crucial in determining whether the current lull is merely a tactical pause or a signal of deeper disagreements that threaten to derail the peace process altogether.