The Isak-Muivah and Khaplang groups of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland have rejected the ban imposed by the Ceasefire Monitoring Group on the movement of their cadres with arms and ammunitions till the February 23 election is over in the state.
Even as all the sixty legislators from Nagaland met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Tuesday and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday to mount pressure for an early solution to the seven decades old Naga imbroglio, the Khole-Kitovi faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland has expressed strong opposition to any "secret pact" with the NSCN-Isak Muivah faction without taking "NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) into confidence."
The NSCN-IM is no longer the force it used to be. Once the 'de facto government' of Magaland, it gradually reduced to an extortion racket. But missteps by the Centre could give it a new lease of life.
The Manipur government declared as 'wanted' the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM militant, who had allegedly molested a Manipuri film actress, as protests against it grew on the third day of the indefinite bandh and curfew was clamped in the entire valley area to defuse the situation on Monday.
The ongoing peace talks between the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM leadership and the Government of India have reached a 'sensitive stage' and efforts are on to iron out a longstanding solution to the over six decades old Naga political problem, observed P Chidambaram in his last press conference as the home minister.
A delegation of the NSCN-IM is in the national capital to hold talks on contentious issues including the possibility of an interim government if both sides agree to settle various pending issues.
The Myanmar govt has declared that it would go to the extent of scrapping its ceasefire with National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang if the underground group is found to be misusing its ceasefire agreement and allowing other Indian insurgent groups to stay in its designated 'Naga zone' in Myanmar which enjoys benefits of ceasefire including permission to move freely with no fear of arrest.
Rebel groups, particularly militants from National Socialist Council of Nagaland factions, are creating trouble in the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. These militants are taking advantage of the mountainous terrain as well as the lack of manpower and firepower of the Arunachal Pradesh police to tackle insurgents armed with sophisticated weapons.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi written on February 25, but kept secret so far, Thuingaleng Muivah, the general secretary of the group and chief Naga negotiator in the talks with the government, also spoke about the framework agreement (FA) signed in 2015 and its proposal that the state should be allowed to have a Constitution and national flag.
Rediff.com's Surajit Talukdar got in touch with author Frans Welman, secretary of the Amsterdam-based Naga International Support Centre, who is considered to be close to the leadership of the NSCN (I-M). Here are excerpts from the exclusive e-mail interview.
Naga rebel group Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak-Muivah has accused Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh of trying to derail the ongoing peace talks by making 'destructive remarks' against the organisation. According to the Naga rebel group, which had declared a state of truce with the government of India, the Manipur chief minister has shown his "antagonism" towards the peace talks.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak Muivah on said the recent statement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the territorial integrity of Manipur was 'unfortunate' and it might affect the on-going Naga peace process.
The Arunachal Pradesh government has warned of stern action against National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang, the Naga rebel group, which recently 'directed' the 12 elected representatives from various constituencies in Tirap and Changlang districts to withdraw support to Dorjee Khandu-led Congress government in the frontier hill state.
Security forces have mounted vigil along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary to prevent United Liberation Front of Asom militants' anti-talks faction from sneaking into Assam through its eastern district of Tinsukia.
The home ministry said the entire Assam, besides bordering areas of Meghalaya, have been declared 'disturbed' under the AFSPA for three months with effect from May 3.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang, a guerilla outfit headed by its self-styled chairman S S Khaplang, has dictated the Indian and foreign oil companies engaged in oil extraction and fresh exploration work on the soil of Nagaland, "to stop all activities forthwith or face the consequences."
The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the operation on Tuesday after hearing the differing viewpoints presented by the home and defence ministries on the necessity of such an operation against the Issac-Muivah and Khaplang factions of the NSCN. The CCS has backed the home ministry view that the Army needs to intervene and clear the two districts of armed militants from both the rival factions
The Asian Human Rights Commission called on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday to intervene in diffusing the escalating tension, especially in Nagaland-Manipur boundary areas in Mao.
The chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang faction) S S Khaplang has asked all the 12 elected legislators of the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh to quit the ruling government or face the consequences. The alleged letter categorically directed all the 12 MLAs to corner Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu.
Militants opened fire at a Central Reserve Paramilitary Force party at Noney in interior Tamenglong district of Manipur leading to an intense exchange of fire, police said.
Chipu Menon, senior leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Khaplang faction, a self-styled brigadier in the outfit, was assassinated by suspected cadres of the rival NSCN-IM group at Mon in Nagaland on Thursday night, intelligence sources in New Delhi said
The infighting in Naga rebel group, National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Khaplang has led to its Myanmar-based chairman S S Khaplang expelling Khole Konyak from the post of commander-in-chief of the self-styled 'Naga Army' with immediate effect.
No casualties were reported in the explosions that took place in a gap of about 20 minutes at 8 pm on Friday.
Following the week-long standoff between the Nagas and the Manipur government over Thuingaleng Muivah's visit to his native village, the Congress core committee decided not to allow the separatist leader to enter the state. After prolonged deliberations, the party top-brass on Wednesday felt that the visit of the country's top rebel leader from the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM might worsen the law and order situation in Manipur.
Manipur is back in the news. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah backed United Naga Council of Manipur has raised a fresh demand for 'creating a separate Union Territory or a separate state within the constitution of India,' in the just concluded tripartite talks held on December 3, in the Senapati district of Manipur.
This was the largest clash in an ongoing conflict between the two groups since December. Both factions are currently in talks with the Centre and have been observing a ceasefire with government forces. The MHA, alarmed at the escalating conflict, wanted the Assam Rifles and the Army to launch an operation to disarm the NSCN cadres of both the factions but so far the Army has resisted the pressure
Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Wednesday discussed the situation in Nagaland with Governor Nikhil Kumar and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in the wake of Manipur government opposing National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah leader T Muivah's visit to his village.
National Socialist Council of Nagaland -- Isak-Muivah leader T Muivah, camping at a border village since Wednesday, is understood to have put on hold his visit to his native village in Manipur after the Centre asked him to defer it and plan his tour in a more congenial atmosphere.
Two women died in a stampede after police burst tear gas shells to disperse hundreds of T Muivah supporters who became restive following hours of wait to receive the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Miuvah general secretary, who postponed his visit to his native village in Manipur on Thursday.
The next round of formal peace talks between the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and the centre's interlocutor Mr R S Pandey is expected to take place on Wednesday amidst reports that both sides have been able to iron out many ticklish issues which were pending for last several years.
A political agreement by any group with the Centre to resolve the protracted Naga problem without the consent of the people would "only lead to more bloodshed among Nagas", the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang has said.
The 68th round of peace talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah leadership, by all indications, are heading for a deadlock, as the both sides are rigid on the issues of sovereignty.
Sources within the NSCN, indicated that the incorporation of the four Naga-inhabited districts of Manipur, two districts of Arunachal Pradesh and some parts of Assam is the main issue which is causing delay in finding out an acceptable solution to the Naga problem. Once this issue is settled, other issues can be solved within a very short period.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday said there was strong possibility of Islamic extremists establishing "sleeper cells" in the state with the help of active members of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaac-Muviah).
'I am happy to announce the appointment of R S Pandey as the interlocutor and the representative of the government of India to hold talks with NSCN-IM,' Home Minister P Chidambaram said in a statement.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) on Wednesday termed as an insult the 'inclusive package' offered by the Centre and said that nothing except integration of Naga-inhabited areas in the north-east is acceptable to the Nagas.The Centre has ruled out the integration demand and offered an 'inclusive package' to the NSCN-IM. The Naga problem cannot be resolved through social, economic and cultural packages, the NSCN-IM said.
Talks between the government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland(Isaak Muivah) are likely to begin in New Delhi on Tuesday with the Naga rebel group asserting it has not withdrawn its key demand of sovereignty for Nagaland, a call rejected by the Centre as not feasible.
Fifteen activists of two pro-Sri Lankan Tamils outfits have been arrested for attempting to burn the national flags of India and Sri Lanka in Chennai on Saturday. Activists of the Tamil National Socialist Party and Tamil Nationalist Liberation Movement were arrested when they tried to burn the flags of the two nations in front of Shastri Bhavan, which houses various Central government offices, police said.
The talks were convened in Delhi in a bid to hammer out differences, particularly on the NSCN-IM's demand for a separate flag and Constitution for the Nagas, officials said.
In an attack carried out by the armed militants of the ULFA-I a Hindi-speaking businessman and his daughter were killed in the interior Bijulibon area in Assam on Tuesday night.