Our Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 9: The rumour went viral, people quoted some media reports and frantic calls and Whatsapp messages buzzed in and buzzed out as it was claimed that the Government of India is “ready to incorporate” Naga constitution or Yehzabo into the Indian Constitution.
The dust of ‘propaganda politics’, as described by a veteran Naga politician, finally settled down in the afternoon (Friday, September 9) after an informed source termed the claimed news item as ‘imaginary’.
Another source called it the ‘work of some creative minds’.
Arguments followed up soon.
Essentially, many said, the Naga Customary laws are not codified. Even the customary laws vary from tribe to tribe.
What are the basic Naga Laws, asked others.
Some NGO and civil society leaders in Kohima and Dimapur also took keen interest in the development, as the rumour mongering came close on the heels of Government of India sources claiming that the stalled peace parleys between the Centre and the NSCN-IM have been revived.
Obviously, the twin demands for Flag and a separate ‘Naga Constitution’ raised by NSCN-IM since 2019 had stalled the progress in the final stages of Naga peace parleys.
The Government of India had outright rejected the two demands; and officials even claimed that the militant organisation had raised the two issues only as an ‘afterthought’.
The delegation of Naga legislators and Ministers, led by CM Neiphiu Rio, had over an hour meeting with the peace emissary AK Mishra in Delhi on Thursday and the news spread initially that the stalled peace parleys between the Centre and the NSCN-IM were “revived”.
Sources revealed on Friday that a crucial meeting took place at Shillong on August 24 and both sides quite smartly kept the information a secret.
The Government of India representatives have given a new Formulation Papers to the militant organisation and essentially it was being considered that “the ball is now in the court of NSCN-IM”.
“Elections or no elections, focus is on the Formulation Papers. It’s refreshing… the month of September 2022 is crucial in more ways than one”, a source had said on Thursday evening.
According to reports, extortion is a major issue of concern for the Centre as the State of Nagaland recorded the highest rate of crime under ‘extortion and blackmailing’ in 2021 as per the National Crime Bureau report of the Union Home Ministry.
The Naga delegation, led by CM Rio, was expected to meet Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday.
However, sources claimed that the meeting has been postponed to Monday.
