NAGA PEACE ACCORD AND THE KUKIS: A HOLISTIC SOLUTION IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD

The Naga peace talks, after going past the October 31, 2019 deadline set by the Government, has recently witnessed renewed efforts to clinch the final deal on the accord signed between the Naga rebels and GOI on 3rd August 2018. Amid talks of finalising the agreement, the NSCN IM in a scathing attack to the interlocutor Mr. N Ravi, had released a Press Statement, accusing N. Ravi, who is also the Governor of Nagaland, of branding the Naga issue as just a ‘law and order' issue, among others.

- T S Haokip

Interestingly, the Naga National Political Group (NNPG) and a few other groups have maintained their silence as far as allegation on the interlocutor is concerned. It is worth mentioning that earlier in January 2020, NNPG and KNO (Kuki National Organization) in a first of its kind between the two communities, signed an agreement to work closely towards resolving differences and respecting each other’s history and culture. KNO along with United People’s Front (UPF) have been demanding for an autonomous Territorial council for the Kukis of Manipur in the line of Bodoland Territorial council of Assam. As the Naga peace accord enters its final stage, the fate of other ongoing talks especially the Tripartite Suspension of Operations with the Kuki militants, has become a topic of interest for many people.

Pic: SR1 (Caption: Three monoliths inscribed with the names of 1,157 people who had allegedly been killed by Naga mercenaries during the ’90s.)