DIMAPUR, March 26: The area of ceasefire coverage which has been the bone of contention between the NSCN (I-M) and Government of India filly spilled over with the NSCN (I-M) staging a walk out mid-way of the ceasefire meeting held at Police Complex, Chumukedima, on Thursday.
Talking to mediapersons after walking out of the meeting, convenor of ceasefire monitoring cell (CFMC), NSCN (I-M), Kraibo Chawang, said the NSCN (I-M) walked out of the meeting mainly on two issues – the ceasefire coverage and the summons issued to NSCN leaders by the tiol Investigation Agency (NIA).
“On the ground, these (GoI representatives) are the people who should create a conducive atmosphere for solution, but we find it very difficult when the ceasefire monitoring group (CFMG) chairman says that the ceasefire does not extend beyond the State of galand. That is an insult to the whole ga people,” Chawang said.
Chawang said NSCN (I-M) leaders Isak Chishi Swu and Th. Muivah are not fighting for the cause of people of galand only but for all ga-inhabited areas.
The other issue, Chawang said is the summoning of NSCN leaders including chairman Isak Chishi Swu, general secretary Th. Muivah and emissary to the NSCN (I-M) collective leadership, VS Atem.
The CFMC convenor disclosed that recently more than 20 NSCN (I-M) members including the top leaders have been summoned by NIA to appear in its court on the pretext that the ga leaders were waging war against the Union of India.
“But the fact is that NSCN has been struggling with arms and because of this there is a ceasefire,” Chawang said and reminded that the Government of India and NSCN (I-M) has signed the ceasefire agreement as two entities.
Pointing out that imposition of Indian laws was not acceptable to the gas, he said ga people would now decide on the future course of action.
Later the Government of India representatives led by chairman of CFMG and ceasefire supervisory board (CFSB) also had a separate caesefire review meeting with the GPRN/NSCN (Khole-Kitovi group).
Addressing the media after the two meetings, chairman CFMG/CFSB, Lt Gen (retd) NK Singh, admitted that the NSCN (I-M) members had walked out of the meeting on the issues of ceasefire coverage and summoning of their leaders by NIA.
“I told them that my jurisdiction as CFMG chairman is only in the state of galand,” Singh said.
The CFMG chairman also informed that in the meeting, the NSCN (I-M) members “did not agree to stop extortion.”
On the second meeting with the NSCN (KK) group, Singh said the NSCN (KK) had raised the issue of review of the ceasefire ground rules (CFGR), allocation of more desigted camps and improvement of the condition of their desigted camps including water supply. On review of CFGR, the CFSB chairman told the NSCN (KK) representatives to raise the issue during the upcoming meeting scheduled on April 27 in Delhi to discuss on extension of ceasefire between the two sides.
The ceasefire meeting between the GoI representatives and NSCN (K) is scheduled on Friday. (IANS)