The BJP led Government must be feeling the heat.
And it stands that the United Naga Council knows the exact spot to apply the pressure.
Deadline is obviously one spot the UNC knows how and when to serve and it is along this line that Works Minister Th Biswajit took pains to negate any possibility of the ongoing tripartite talks involving the State Government, the UNC and the Central Government breaking down.
That the assurance from the Works Minister came after the UNC had served the 48 hours deadline to continue the negotiation or face consequences is what made the announcement of the Minister news worthy, so much so that The Sangai Express deemed it fit to publish the same as the lead story in the October 2 issue.
Taking off from where the Works Minister left, now Chief Minister N Biren has announced for all to know, particularly the UNC, that the next round of the tripartite talks may be held on October 6 or 7.
Not bad, that is for the UNC, as all indications say that they have been calling the shots and the Government is bending backward to accommodate their viewpoints.
Note that it is the UNC which has been deciding the venue of the tripartite talks.
Note too that it is at their insistence that the Centre had to depute their representatives to the ongoing talk.
Paying the price of what the previous Congress Government did in creating seven new districts, particularly Kangpokpi district, is how the people may view the issue here.
So which way will the tripartite talks proceed ? Difficult to say. Just take a look at the reality.
To the BJP led Government rolling back the district creation announcement will just be out of the question while to the UNC the district creation issue is the main and only agenda of the ongoing tripartite talks.
Perhaps this is where a third party may come in and try to convince the UNC of the futility of rolling back the district creation decision.
One strong bargaining point of the UNC will obviously be the ongoing peace talk between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) which is reportedly at its final stage.
And remember that the Framework Agreement has already been signed.
The important question is whether the district creation issue will dominate the ongoing peace talk between New Delhi and the NSCN (IM).
While this will obviously be to the advantage of the UNC, the Government of India may also use this to thrash out a solution after all the district creation issue should not be allowed to derail the ongoing peace talk with the NSCN (IM).
The path ahead certainly will not be easy for the BJP led Government and it is here that Chief Minister N Biren will have to use all the resources available at his disposal.
As stated earlier here, the Chief Minister may explore the possibility of using the office of the NPF, as the NPF is very much a part of the BJP led coalition Government.
Moreover Nagaland Assembly is going to polls sometime next year and the NPF and BJP are partners.
It is this partnership which should be studied and explored.
The UNC too should keep its options open and try to view things from a broader perspective.
Source: The Sangai Express
