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NSCN-IM to seek 'greater autonomy' for Nagaland | |
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Tuesday, 20 June , 2006, 16:59 | |
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New Delhi: With the government reluctant to concede to the NSCN-IM's key demand for unifying all Naga-inhabitated areas in the Northeast, the rebel group is expected to focus on "greater autonomy" for Nagaland during crucial talks with the Centre's negotiators at the Hague on June 22-24, sources said.
Autonomy is part of the 30-point "charter of demands" submitted by the NSCN-IM, and this includes a greater say in the utilisation of natural resources, a separate constitution, a separate flag and control in areas like finance, defence and policing, they said. In the talks, the Naga side is likely to put pressure to get "some kind of concession" from New Delhi on its charter of demands to "please the domestic constituencies" that have become desperate due to the "delay" in the peace process, the sources said. The NSCN-IM, which began talks with the government in 1997 after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire, is also likely to submit a fresh proposal on the kind of autonomy it wants for evaluation by the Centre, they said. The Naga outfit has made a case for a "federal relationship" with the Indian Union. It has argued that the nature of this relationship should be incorporated in the country's Constitution as well as the separate one for Nagaland, if it is granted, since this alone can ensure a lasting settlement to the nation's oldest insurgency problem, sources said. |
IM rubbishes autonomy report
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src="">
Dimapur, Jun 22: Strongly reacting to the PTI news reports from New Delhi that the NSCN-IM is expected to focus on the greater autonomy for Nagaland during the crucial talks with the Centre's negotiators at The Hague from June 22-24, one of the key figures in the NSCN-IM set up has termed the reports as attempt to confuse the people.
"We are not surprised over such reports as some media have been playing spoil-sports with regard to the ongoing Naga peace process", said deputy Home Minister of the NSCN-IM V Horam and added, "there are no such things as greater autonomy or smaller autonomy that the Nagas are talking about".
Informing this to Newmai News Network this morning V Horam, who is well known for his articulate skill and diplomacy, said "we are talking about the federation of India and Nagalim".
Explaining its proposal the deputy Home Minister said "what we have put up is for the Federation of India and Nagalim and the pattern of relationship between these two nations (Federation of India and Nagalim) which is to be inseparable and this thing to be worked out in the process of the ongoing talks and that would be incorporated in the Constitution of India as well as the Constitution of Nagalim." He further explained that within this framework and principle the new arrangements will revolve.
However, Horam said that it is not proper to give comment before the talks start but stated that things will be out there for everyone to see after the agreement is arrived at.
Meanwhile, the NSCN-K, Zeliangrong Region spokesman Felix has informed the media over telephone that three non-Naga cadres who were with the NSCN-IM had been killed and five NSCN-IM cadres injured in the clash between the two rival factions in Tamenglong district few days back.
He said that three killed cadres belong to non-Naga outfit which had been trained by the NSCN-IM.
Felix further stated that five injured NSCN-IM cadres had taken to Dimapur for medical attention while the three dead bodies had been taken care off by the NSCN-IM.
The incident occured in the Makoi village clash incident, according to Felix.
The spokesman further stated that his outfit been restraining from attacking the rival outfit because of the presence of the Indian security forces to which they do not want to create law and order problem in the region.
He claimed that his outfit could finish-off the rival faction if wants to and urged the rival faction to come out in the open at any place at any day for confrontation.
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