One day after October 31: Time to look ahead

‘Conditional Naga flag,’ shutdown called by the Coordination Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) extended till 6 pm of November 1, Union Home Ministry cautioning against misinformation and rumour campaigns and assuring that all stakeholders including Manipur would be consulted before the final deal is struck with the NSCN (IM). This in brief was how October 31, 2019 passed and even as the full impact of the information coming from Delhi has begun to sink in, only some points seem to be crystal clear. One is that the negotiation is over but the final deal is yet to be signed. A report carried in a Guwahati based English daily clearly states that the time frame for signing the  final deal may be extended by another three months. And significantly there is the written assurance from the Union Home Ministry that all stakeholders, including Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh would be taken into confidence and their concerns taken note of before the final agreement is inked. So far, so good. The NSCN (IM) also seems to be happy at the moment, with its general secretary and chief negotiator Thuingaleng Muivah personally expressing gratitude to the Nagas for their continued support and prayers. The political prudence so far demonstrated by the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of the NSCN (IM) is taken note of and this is a point which should be acknowledged.
Tough to say how things will unfold, but it is interesting to see that the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) are open to the idea of exploring the possibility of a ‘conditional Naga flag’ which can be allowed only for non-Governmental purposes. Something like an arrangement in which the flag may underline or visually demonstrate the culture of the Naga people. This is where a pan Naga arrangement, which may deal with what comes strictly under the understanding of culture may define the ‘conditional Naga flag.’ This is where it becomes important to question whether the idea of a pan Naga body may be acceptable to the people of Manipur, who have been raising their stand against any arrangement that may bypass the State Government. However as assured by the Union Home Ministry, such an arrangement, if any, will be discussed with the State Government. This is what the State Government and the various CSOs which have been at the forefront defending what is Manipur’s interest will need to study minutely. And when the Centre does confer with the State Government, it stands that the State Government will have to speak on behalf of the people of Manipur, while at the same time ensuring that the issues with the NSCN (IM) are settled to the satisfaction of all concerned. October 31 has come and gone, but there is still a lot of homework to be done by the State Government and the different CSOs of Manipur.