A group of 21 parliamentarians have written to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking a detailed update on the Naga peace process in the ongoing session of Parliament.
The MPs said that since 2021 there is no full-time interlocutor for Naga peace talks and peace negotiations, which are essential for achieving lasting stability, “shouldn’t be relegated to bureaucratic manoeuvring devoid of democratic oversight.”
“It is deeply perplexing that despite the widespread recognition of the Naga peace process as a crucial pillar of national security and stability, Parliament remains uninformed about the status of negotiations since the signing of the Framework Agreement. The persistent secrecy surrounding the agreement and the perceived impasse in subsequent negotiations raise serious concerns,” the letter signed by MPs from the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha said.
The Isak Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM), one of the largest Naga groups signed a framework agreement with the Centre on August 3, 2015 to end the decades-old Naga issue.
Interlocutor R.N. Ravi signed the agreement on behalf of the Centre in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The other two signatories were Isak Chishi Swu, who died in 2016, and Thuingaleng Muivah, who is currently leading the talks. Mr. Ravi, presently Tamil Nadu’s Governor, also held the charge of Nagaland Governor till he was transferred in 2021. No new interlocutor has been appointed since then and the Naga groups interact with former Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer A.K Mishra who is Adviser, North-East in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The joint letter dated February 3 said that the delay in advancing the peace process is troubling and raises apprehensions about the efficacy of the current negotiations. “Such stagnation may risk undermining the hard-earned trust and support built over decades. The Naga peace process has historically enjoyed bipartisan support, transcending political spectrums, a reflection of its national importance,” the MPs said.
They added that since the resignation of the last interlocutor in September 2021, the government hasn’t appointed a full-time negotiator, relying instead on an official in an ad-hoc capacity. “This absence of a dedicated full-time interlocutor leads to an unsettling inconsistency, with channels of communication reportedly disrupted and meetings between the negotiating parties occurring sporadically. Such a fragmented approach threatens to erode nearly three decades of painstaking progress, jeopardising the trust and goodwill carefully nurtured over the years,” they said.
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“Given the profound significance of this matter for both the northeastern region and the nation as a whole, it is imperative that the government provides clarity and updates Parliament on the current status of the Naga peace process, including the details of the negotiations and developments since the signing of the Framework Agreement and the reasons for the perceived stagnation of the process,” the letter said.
