Will the Peace Process Get Derailed by Elections?

By January 8, within 48 hours, nine Naga organisations have appealed to the Prime Minister to postpone assembly elections in the state until after a Final Agreement is arrived at. On Sunday, four organisations; the Nagaland Tribes Council, the Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation,the Central Nagaland Tribes Council and the Nagaland GB Federation had respectively appealed to the Union Government to postpone the elections. By the end of Monday, five more organisations had made their respective appeals; the Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), Indigenous Minority Tribes of Nagaland (IMTN), and the Western Sumi Hoho (WSH). Earlier on December 7 2017, the Nagaland Legislators Forum (NSF) had passed a resolution to defer the assembly elections till the final agreement is arrived at.

The Naga Hoho, the Apex body of Naga tribes in Nagaland, made references to the interlocutor for the Government of India, R. N. Ravi’s comments. R. N. Ravi had in July 2017 said that the final settlement was close. The Naga Hoho also mentioned that they recognise that as per the Constitution of India timely elections is a necessity for a democracy, and that at this time an exception should be made so that a final settlement can peaceably be arrived at.The NMA appealed that the elections be postponed in the interest of a peaceful final settlement to the Naga issue, considering home many have died for the Naga cause for freedom. The NMA also objected to the declaration of Nagaland as a ‘disturbed area’, and the extension of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland.

The ENPO made public a copy of the memorandum they had submitted to the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh. The memorandum mentioned that holding elections before the final agreement is arrived at would only promote misunderstanding and misgivings between the concerned parties and the people.The IMTN, a group representing minority non-Naga tribes living in Nagaland, appealed stating that if elections are held before the final agreement is reached, it may distract and hamper the ongoing negotiations.The WSH expressed its support for the stand taken by the Central Nagaland Tribal Council. The WSH stated that if the Union Government is serious about a final agreement, it would give greater importance to arriving at a solution than the assembly elections.

The Minister of State (Home Affairs), Kiren Rijiju, who has been put in charge for the BJP’s election campaign in Nagaland, has denied that elections should be deferred. His stand is based on elections being a Constitutional mandate, and that to defer them would not be in the interest of democracy. His view clearly does not match the sentiments of the Naga people, whether from Civil Society organisations, or even political groups. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that the BJP is hell bent on increasing their numbers in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. At present they hold 4 seats and in the state are a junior partner with the Naga People’s Front who hold 45 seats in 60 member house.