GUWAHATI, April 24: Even as the Centre toys with the idea of extending the ceasefire with Naga insurgent groups for a further period of three to six months, the outlawed National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) faction headed by Isak Chisi Swu and Thuiengleng Muivah has expressed serious doubts over the sincerity of the government's resolve to find a solution to the vexed issue.The Army meanwhile has withdrawn its unilateral ceasefire against the other NSCN faction headed by S S Khaplang following two major ambushes by the group in Nagaland which left eleven security personnel including a Major dead during the past two weeks.
The ceasefire, mutually agreed upon by the Government of India and the NSCN (Isak-Muivah), has been in force since August 1997 and ends on April 30 after two extensions. Opinion is still divided among North Block and South Block officials on going in for a third extension.
A joint statement issued by NSCN (I-M) chairman Swu, vice-chairman Khodao Yanthan and general secretaryMuivah received here today not only expressed doubts over the government's sincerity, but also complained that India was ``continuing to rub salt into an old wound'' which they said might ``tear the patience'' of the Naga people.
It said the rebel group had agreed to political negotiations only after Indian leaders ``repeatedly approached us with a testimony that there must be a political dialogue to bring about a peaceful solution to the Indo-Naga issue''.
But the ceasefire agreement was repeatedly violated by the government while the rebel group cadres kept their word, the NSCN (I-M) leaders claimed, adding that the ceasefire also did not cover all the Naga-inhabited areas, which the rebels call Nagalim. The rebel leaders also described the holding of elections in Nagaland as a ``violation of the ceasefire'', though the point found no clear mention in the terms of the truce.
The NSCN (I-M) statement is likely to make the government think twice before opting for another extension to the ceasefirebeyond April 30, even as renewed clashes are expected in the state with the termination of the ceasefire with NSCN (Khaplang).
And, even as the Army corps HQ at Dimapur asserted it would thwart any attempt to ``jeopardize the peaceful atmosphere'', new G-O-C of the Eastern Command Lt Gen H R S Kalkat has pushed the ball into the government's court saying the Army ``can only assist the process'' and cannot provide ``political solutions''.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
