Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 8 (EMN): In a significant development to the Naga peace process, the Government of India (GoI) and the Niki-led National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K) on Monday signed a ceasefire agreement in New Delhi.
It came nearly nine months after the ‘NSCN (K) Niki’ decided revive the ceasefire with the GoI after abrogating it in 2015.
According to the agreement, the ceasefire is for a period of one year with effect from September 8, 2021 to September 7, 2022 and “will be subject to adherence to the Ceasefire Ground Rules to be mutually agreed and signed by the two sides”.
“The Ceasefire Ground Rules will be subject to mutual review and amendment with the involvement of both the parties,” it stated.
It added that the agreement was signed by the representatives from both the parties, wherein the GoI was represented by Piyush Goyal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; while the Naga group was represented by Nikato Pilot Sumi, supervisor of CFSB, NSCN/ (K) Niki; and Abel Zingru Thuer, member of CFSB, NSCN/(K) Niki.
The Ministry of Home Affairs also updated via PIB that the ceasefire agreement was signed in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an ‘insurgency-free and prosperous Northeast’. It added that 200 cadres of the NSCN (K) Niki group long with 83 weapons had joined the peace process.
“The Ceasefire Agreement and Agreed Ceasefire Ground Rules were signed on 08th September, 2021. The Government of India has already signed a Framework Agreement with NSCN (IM) and ceasefire agreements with other Naga groups namely, NSCN (NK), NSCN (R) and NSCN (K)-Khango,” read the update from the ministry.
It may be mentioned that the GoI and WC, NNPG had also signed Agreed Position in 2017.
The Ministry of Home Affairs also stated that the Centre had signed agreement with several groups from the Northeast including the National Liberation Front of Twipra (SD). It added that thousands of cadres from various insurgent groups had surrendered along with the weapons with the signing of Bodo Agreement and Karbi Anglong Agreement over the last couple of years.