The Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland or NSCN (IM) has objected to an outpost of the paramilitary Assam Rifles near its council headquarters at Hebron near Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur.
The outpost was set up in “blatant violation” of the ceasefire ground rules, the extremist group said in a statement issued on Saturday evening. The outfit had declared ceasefire with Indian armed forces in July 1997.
The publicity wing of the NSCN (IM) said one of the clauses in the ceasefire ground rules was that the Centre would not establish any base or facility of the armed forces on the Dimapur-Hebron road. It asked New Delhi to ensure that the peace agreement was respected by moving the Assam Rifles outpost out of the area.
“The checking of commuters at Doyapur (on the Dimapur-Hebron road) is completely against the ongoing and longest peaceful political negotiation… It has been almost two years since the Assam Rifles personnel began stationing at Doyapur,” the NSCN (IM) said, seeking the withdrawal of the outpost “in the larger interest of the Naga peace process”.
The Ministry of Home Affairs exercises control over the Assam Rifles, Indian’s oldest paramilitary force, but the officers of the force come from the Army.
The peace process between the Centre and NSCN (IM) has been hanging fire for more than two decades now. The talks appear to have been stuck on the issues of a separate flag and constitution for the Naga-inhabited areas.