Centre extends ceasefire with Nagaland’s NSCN (K) Niki group

New Delhi/Kohima, Sep 4 (IANS) The Centre on Wednesday extended the ceasefire agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K) Niki for a period of one year, officials said.The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that the Central government and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K) Nikki, Nagaland have mutually decided to extend the Ceasefire Agreement with effect from September 8 for a period of one year to bring about a lasting peace in the state of Nagaland with the involvement of Naga people.The agreement, accessed by IANS, said that the ceasefire would be subject to adherence to the ceasefire ground rules mutually agreed to and signed by the two sides.The ceasefire ground rules would be subject to mutual review and amendment with the involvement of both parties.The extension of the ceasefire agreement was signed in Delhi by Additional Secretary to the MHA Piyush Goyal, Supervisor, CFSB NSCN-(K) Niki, Abel Zingri Thuer and Secretary, CFSB NSCN-(K) Niki Ameka Achumi.The Central government signed the vital Framework Agreement with the dominant Naga outfit, National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), in 2015 and also signed the Agreed Position with the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups in 2017.More than 90 rounds of meetings were held between the government and the Naga groups over the decades-old unresolved Naga political issue.The NSCN-IM has remained unyielding on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas as well as integration of Naga-inhabited areas spread over four northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, besides Myanmar.Meanwhile, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Nagaland government last week decided to hold consultative meetings with apex and influential tribal bodies and civil society organisations on taking forward the Naga Political Issue.The decision was taken during a PAC meeting held in Kohima in the presence of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and the two MPs of the state.The Nagaland government had constituted the PAC on Naga Political Issue in November last year to facilitate an early solution to the long-pending issue.The PAC members include MLAs of eight prominent political parties, including the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party, BJP, Nationalist Congress Party, Janata Dal (United) National People’s Party and the Congress Lok Sabha Member from the state, S. Supongmeren Jamir.In a significant political development, Jamir, who is also the state Congress chief, wrested Nagaland’s sole Lok Sabha seat from the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), defeating its candidate Chumben Murry in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.–IANSsc/pgh