Opposition to Naga deal is partisan and perilous
Congress president Sonia Gandhi's criticism of the Naga peace deal signed earlier this week is petty, partisan and perilous for the Indian polity. It seems to be in continuation of her party's ‘Oppose Everything' policy, which, of course, is damaging to policy-making processes as it is, but especially destructive when extended to matters of national security and sovereignty. These must remain above political plays. This is not to suggest that there should be no discussion on these issues; just that they must not be used to fuel a political slugfest. Had Ms Gandhi lashed out at the Government for signing a deal that she thought was not in the national interest, her opposition would have been justified. But that's not the case here — there is no detailed agreement yet to critique and criticise. What was signed on August 3 was a framework agreement that codified the basic issues and principles upon which the final deal will be built. It set the rules of engagement between the Government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaac-Muivah), and in doing so, officially ended the long-running Naga insurgency. The Government agreed to acknowledge the unique history of the Naga people and be considerate of their aspirations while the former rebels accepted the Constitution of India and agreed to come within the Indian political system. This is the information available in the public domain and it indicates a win-win situation for all parties. There isn't anything to oppose here, and the Congress president should have had the grace and maturity to accept this.
Instead, she and her party members went about scraping the bottom of the barrel to bring out manufactured grievances based on outright falsities. Ms Gandhi alleged that the Government had not taken into confidence the Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, all of whom are Congress leaders. She slammed the Government for being “arrogant” and for “insulting” the Chief Ministers. Yet, the leaders themselves had no problems when the deal was signed. The Chief Ministers of all three States — Assam's Tarun Gogoi, Arunachal Pradesh's Nabam Tuki and Manipur's Okram Ibobi Singh — had individually and publicly welcomed the news. Also, Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajnath Singh has clarified that all three will be taken into confidence before the final deal is signed. He even met the Chief Minister of Manipur in New Delhi on Thursday and discussed the matter. The only issue that could have been a bone of contention is the old Naga demand that all contiguous Naga-inhabited territories, which include areas in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, be incorporated into one Naga state. Here too, the Government has repeatedly said (including on Thursday, to the Chief Minister of Nagaland) that there’ll be no changes in existing State boundaries. There really is no ground for Ms Gandhi to cry hoarse. She is just looking for the next stick with which to beat the Government.