EMN
Dimapur, August 3
As with his predecessor, the Home Minister of Nagaland G Kaito Aye has reiterated the inability of the state government of Nagaland to act in the event of “underground related” violence as the groups are engaged in a ceasefire with the government of India. Readers ill recall that the former Home Minister Imkong Imchen has often taken this line during his tenure that the State was unable to act in ‘underground-related’ situations, on the contention that the issue was “political.” “The Naga underground groups are engaged in ceasefires with the government of India and they are under the purview of the Cease Fire Ground Rules (CFGRs). As such, wherever there is underground related violence taking place in the state, the state government cannot use force as such action may lead to unwanted situation and it may even threaten the ceasefire,” Home minister Aye said in a statement received here today.
The minister was responding to the statement of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), that the Naga Peoples’ Front-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (NPF-DAN) had yet again “failed to maintain law and order”.
However he added that “the state government will always discharge its bounden duties to protect the lives of the civilians.”
According to the claims of Kaito Aye the Naga people and even the Central government have been “appreciating” the “peaceful environment” in the State. “The news item issued by NPCC alleging that the NPF-led DAN government failed to maintain law and order leading to a total breakdown of law and order in the state has come as a shock because such wild allegation has come at a time when the people in the state have been appreciating of the relative peaceful environment in the state,” Aye said.
The minister made no reference of the rampant extortion, threat and intimidation and fear psychosis of the public which have permeated Naga social life.
In an oblique comment on the prevailing situation Aye said “There is a need for familiarizing the cadres of the various factions with ground rules of ceasefires between the government of India and the underground groups.”
Commenting on “the political talks the minister said “the general public, mass based societies, even the leaders of the Government of India including honorable Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and also the interlocutor of the political negotiation have from time to time been appreciative of the positive development in the talks as well as the peaceful environment prevailing in the State.”
Against such feedback the minister expressed surprise at the allegations from the NPCC. He said, “I am totally surprised” at the NPCC’s “wild allegations” that the NPF-led DAN government could not maintain law and order .The remarks were totally uncalled for, he added.
