Nagaland State Government Efforts for Naga Peace Talks
Nagaland Government has called for a consultative meeting with all the stakeholders on October 15 to ensure Naga peace talks caught in deadlock. It's a welcome move that the state government invited all the stakeholders for the crucial meeting. It is mention worthy here that the Nagaland Legislative Assembly has passed the resoultion pertaining to Greater Nagalim five times . This time state government has become so sensitive on the issue that it invited All tribal Hohos, mass based organizations, civil societies, church organizations, political parties, NGOs, prominent persons etc. are being for the Naga peace talks meeting.
State Government's constitutional responsibility -
Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India and therefore, it is the primary duty of the State Governments to prevent, detect, register and investigate crime and prosecute the criminals. Nagaland State Government is bound to maintain internal peace and security by effectively dealing with insurgent groups , separatist groups , violent ethnic groups etc . If it fails to do so then the question of imposition of AFSPA arises. Article 355 of the Indian constitution says that It shall be the duty of the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.
What are the demands of Naga Rebel groups ?
The purported objective of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) is the establishment of a Nagalim (Greater Nagaland), consisting of all the Naga-inhabited areas of neighbouring Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and some portions Myanmar, which it considers to be the rightful homeland of the Nagas. Slated to be an independent State, the Nagalim lies in the Patkai range between the 930 and 970 East longitude and 23.50 and 28.30 North latitude at the trijunction of China, India and Myanmar. The proposed Nagalim spreads over approximately 1,20,000 sq. km. in contrast to the present State of Nagaland that has an area of 16,527 sq. km.
The NSCN-IM maintains that at present Nagalim has been subdivided by the Government of India into four different administrative units: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. Likewise, Myanmar too has claimed parts of Nagalim and has divided it under two administrative units of Kachin State and Sagaing division. Thus, the establishment of Nagalim threatens to include large chunks of territories of three neighbouring States, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, along with some portion of Myanmar.
The map of Nagalim, released by the NSCN-IM, claims the Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills District of Assam. Besides, the map is also shown to include parts of the districts of Golaghat, Sibasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, and Jorhat. It also includes Dibang Valley, Lohit, Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh and significant parts of the four of the seven districts of Manipur – Tamenlong, Senapati, Ukhrul and Chandel.
