Dimapur, June 27 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has urged for “urgent intervention” of the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil towards appointing a “full time” chairman of Ceasefire monitoring Group/Ceasefire Monitoring Board, “preferably” in consultation with the other parties of the ceasefire.In the letter addressed to the Union Home Minister, Rio sought to appraise Patil on certain new developments which “may threaten the current peace process” initiated by GoI through ceasefire with both the NSCN (IM) and the NSCN (K). He pointed out that the CFMG/CFSB was constituted under a chairman representing the Government of India to supervise the enforcement of Ceasefire Ground Rules and establish proper communication with both groups. naturally, the chairman has to play a vital role in the enforcement of ceasefire ground rules, stated the letter.Rio then mentioned the relentless inter-factional clashes between the NSCN groups during the last few months which had claimed many lives including civilians and damage to properties. Rio said most of such violations of Ceasefire Ground Rules need action by the chairman of the CFMG/CFSB or it calls for action by Central and State agencies in consultation with the chairman. The chief minister noted that under the prevailing situation when the services of the chairman are needed more than before, the Ministry had released (Retd) General Kulkarni, chairman of the CFMG/CFSB without deciding on his successor first and had allowed Kumawat, Special Secretary (IS) Ministry of Home Affairs, to function as temporary chairman with headquarters at Delhi. Rio maintained that day to day monitoring, prevention and control of such factional clashes required the physical presence of the chairman on the ground. The Chief Minister, in his letter also put on record that the NSCN (IM) had already lodged their strong opposition to the temporary appointment of Kumawat as chairman when they walked out if the CFMG meeting on June 12, 2008 held in Dimapur. He conveyed the threat of the outfit to boycott future meetings of the CFMG if their protest was not attended to by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Rio reiterated that after decades of violent insurgency, the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement with the undergrounds had resulted in the restoration of some semblance of normalcy in Nagaland. “If this hard gained peace is allowed to be wasted due to the casual attitude of the Government of India, it will set a dangerous trend for the entire NE Region which is beset with such insurgency problems in almost all the states” says Rio. Therefore, the Nagaland Chief Minister had sought the urgent intervention of Shivraj Patil to see that a full time Chairman of CFMG/CFSB is appointed at an early date, while suggesting that it be done preferably in consultation with the other parties to the Ceasefire.
(Courtesy:Morung Express)
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