The Rooster That Still Crows

On February 18, the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) threatened to pull out of the BJP led coalition government in Manipur headed by N. Biren Singh. This came as a response to the BJP allegedly undermining the alliance by pressuring NPF members of the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) to switch to the BJP. One incident, allegedly involving the Chief Minister making such comments, took place in the presence of an NPF MLA from the Ukhrul constituency.

In the 60-member house, the BJP won 21 seats in the assembly elections then gained 10 additional seats due to defections from the INC and the AITC. Apart from the 31 members of the BJP, the coalition government also consists of the NPF (4 seats), NPP (4 seats), LJP (1 seat), and one independent candidate. Apart from the disgruntled NPF, the BJP also faces the disqualification of 12 MLAs for being appointed to the post of Parliamentary Secretaries. The Congress MLAs may also have to either return to the party or face disqualification.

The NPF has had a rather rocky relationship with the BJP. In Nagaland, the NPF along with all the other political parties that are active in Nagaland had signed a joint declaration, that they would not be filing nomination papers nor issuing party tickets to candidates for the upcoming elections. The joint declaration brokered by the Core Committee of Naga Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO) fell flat as soon as the BJP high command suspended the BJP members who had signed the declaration. Neither the Union Government nor the Election Commission heeded the plea of the Naga civil society to defer the elections till the final agreement could be finalised.

The entire episode began to take an ugly turn when the NPF MP and former Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio quit the party to join the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and contest as their Chief Ministerial candidate with the blessings of the BJP. Rio’s switch caused a mini split in the NPF with several members quitting the party to join the NDPP. The NPF subsequently lost out to the NDPP in the alliance with the BJP, despite the NPF having been an NDA ally since it first came to power. From this point on, the platform for campaigning took a different turn, the BJP continued with its ‘development’ plank with the NDPP parroting the pitch. The NPF, on the other hand, changed tack and began talking about ‘outsiders’ who wish to divide Naga society. The Naga Baptist Church Council (NBCC) whether willingly or not has also indirectly backed the NPF by warning against the ‘anti-Christian’ party.

Whether the lack of violence arising out of the Union Government’s ham-handedness is due to the appeals from civil society and Church or from the interlocutor R N Ravi cannot be pinpointed. However, what appears to be the game plan for the BJP is to seize absolute power in the Naga-inhabited areas, then possibly push an otherwise unpalatable ‘solution’ on the NSCN(IM) and the other NNPGs. The NNPGs who are party to the talks may actually assent to the ‘solution’ considering that it would allow them to retire and avoid having to trudge around in the leech-infested jungles.

The NPF is still seen as a ‘Naga’ party. The United Naga Council (UNC) in Manipur, often viewed as a front for the NSCN(IM) has backed the NPF consistently. The NDPP may have the effect of splitting the Naga nationalist vote between itself and the NPF. But whether the emergence of the NDPP was prompted by the Union Government, or by genuine differences within the NPF is ponderable. But that the NPF is re-evaluating its relationship with the BJP is a certainty.