Guwahati: On October 31, 2019, the Naga peace talks concluded successfully between the Government of India and the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs).
But nearly three years later, no official announcement has been made to date. The delay in reaching an amicable solution after over two decades of the Naga Peace Talks has led to an uneasy calm here in Nagaland.
The state’s civil society groups in the state believe there is a simmering tension among the state’s people but remain hopeful for an “honourable” solution at the earliest.
The central government has held two separate parleys: one with the NSCN (IM) since 1997 and the other with the NNPGs since 2017. On August 3, 2015, nearly 18 years after the government’s ceasefire deal with Naga groups, the historic framework agreement based on the unique history of the Nagas was signed between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland’s (Isak Muivah) faction. Seven years later, we are no closer to a solution.
Amid all this, the locals have expressed their dismay at the rampant extortion by the NSCN factions, a practice that goes back nearly four decades. The state has also witnessed a sharp increase in underground factions in the past few years, which has not only increased cases of extortion but also the prices of all commodities in Nagaland.
What are the stumbling blocks in the road to a peaceful solution? Who will blink first, and who will emerge ‘victorious’? With less than a year to go for state elections, will the lack of a permanent solution to the issue hurt CM Neiphiu Rio’s chances? EastMojo’s documentary delves deep into these issues to understand the trials and tribulations of a state at the centre of a decades-old political struggle.
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