General Awareness Series: GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Signs Peace Accord with NSCN

  

India’s Government has signed a peace deal with a leading Naga separatist group, bringing to an end one of the country’s oldest insurgencies.

History of Naga insurgency

The Nagalim was proposed independent country for Naga people. The first sign of Naga resistance was seen in the formation of Naga club in 1918, which told the simon commission “to leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times”. In 1946 came the Naga National Council. In the 1950s, the Naga National council (NNC) led a violent unsuccessful insurgency against the Government of India, demanding a separate country for the Nagas. The secessionist violence decreased considerably after the formation of the Naga majority Nagaland state, and the militants surrendered after the shilling accord of 1975. However a section of Nagas, operating under the various factions of ‘National Socialist Council of Nagaland’ continue to demand a separate country which lack people’s support.

National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) was formed on 31 January 1980 by Isak Chishi Swu, Thuingaleng Muivah & S.S. Khaplang opposing the Shilling Accord signed by the then Naga National Council with the Government of India. On 30 April 1988, the NSCN split into two factions, the NSCN-K led by S S khaplang, and the NSCN-IM led by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng muivah. The split was accompanied by a spate of violence and clashes between factions. The objective of the NSCN was to establish a Sovereign State by unifying all the Naga-inhabited areas in the North east of India and Northern Burma which the organization and the people of area proposed as Nagalim. NSCN was active in North East India.

Over the years, the NSCN has tried to develop extensive linkages both within and outside India. It alleged that Pakistan and China are providing finance as well as arms and ammunition to NSCN in their fight against the Indian Government. It is believed that NSCN patronized smaller extremist’s outfits in the North East of India by giving warfare and intelligence trainings and providing logistics for waging war against India. The Government in India’s north-eastern state of Tripura says it has evidence that the state’s Baptist Church is involved in backing separatist’s rebels. China was also instrumental in providing training and arms, which was established after the arrest of top NSCN IM leader Anthony Shimray. After his arrest by the Indian intelligence agencies he also revealed that he was tasked by Chinese intelligence agencies to collect and gather intelligence on Indian troop deployment in north eastern states of India.

On April 6, 2015 a new faction NSCN (Reformation) was formed. The formation came after Wangtin Konyak, a senior minister and personal secretary to Khaplang and Tikhak, the spokesperson of the outfit were expelled by Khaplang after misunderstanding arose over recent abrogation of ceasefire with the Government of India. The primary agenda of the new NSCN-R was to “develop a sense of brotherhood among the Naga society.”

On August 3, 2015 NSCN leader T Muivah signed peace accord with the Government of India in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and NSA Ajit Doval. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the accord between his Government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland as “historic”. He said, “I have the deepest admiration for great Naga people for their extraordinary support to the peace efforts, our oldest insurgency is getting resolved, it is a signal to other smaller groups to give up weapons.

About the Author: Prakashmaan Singh is working with department of posts under ministry of communication, India. He is a fitness freak and bodybuilding is his passion. Through his articles he wants to spread awareness and present his views on the topic so that exchange of thoughts can take place.