The three-month ceasefire in Nagaland announced by Prime Minister I K Gujral in Parliament last week has been questioned by one of the Naga underground groups he claimed had agreed to the ceasefire. This has raised doubts whether the ceasefire from August 1 would be effective.
While making the announcement in the Rajya Sabha on July 25, Gujral said the agreement for ceasefire had been reached with the Isaac-Muivah faction of the outlawed National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN). And while replying to clarifications from members, he claimed three more Naga outfits had also agreed to the ceasefire.
Within a day of the announcement, one of the groups-the S S Khaplang group of the NSCN-has declared that it had nothing to do with the ceasfire announcement. Apart from the Khaplang faction, Gujral named two more groups: the Federal Naga group and the Naga National Council.
The Khaplang faction is strongly opposed to the Isaac-Muivah faction, and both have often clashed. Officials associated with the subject feel it would be very easy for the Khaplang faction to sabotage the ongoing talks by carrying out ambushes and acts of violence, and blaming it all on the Issac-Muivah faction.
A high-level team of officials has reached Kohima to oversee arrangements related to the ceasefire. This includes Union home secretary K Padmanabhaiah, and the director-general of military operations. As per Gujrals statement, the ceasfire was applicable only in the case of the state of Nagaland.
