Hint of NSCN-NPF tie

NISHIT DHOLABHAI

New Delhi, Jan. 4: The Centre has charged Nagaland's Neiphiu Rio government with allowing a meeting of ruling Naga People's Front legislators and top NSCN (Isak-Muivah) leaders to discuss candidates for Manipur Assembly elections.

NPF legislators met the NSCN (I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and senior leader V.S. Atem at the Niathu Resorts, Union home ministry sources said today.

The meeting has been observed even more intently as the resort is understood to be owned by Rio's family.

"The meeting was held to chalk out a strategy for the Manipur polls," a senior home ministry official said.

The Centre has been watching the developments, particularly in the Naga areas, in the run-up to the polls, as the United Naga Council (UNC) forced suspension of work on a railway line in Manipur. For all practical transactions within the government, the UNC is considered the shadow "over ground" organisation of the NSCN (I-M).

Late tonight, around 10.30, suspected militants lobbed a grenade at a Congress office in Singjamei Assembly constituency in Manipur, represented by Manipur Speaker I. Hemochandra. Nobody was injured.

As the notification for January 28 Manipur polls was issued today ( ), the political scenario seems to have heated up.

Muivah and NSCN chairman Isak Chishi Swu live at the outfit's camp some 35km off Dimapur. They need to inform the Nagaland government and the Centre before leaving the camp, according to the home ministry.

"We will write to Nagaland government asking how Muivah could leave Camp Hebron without informing the Centre," the official said.

According to Atem, there was, however, no such meeting held today. "I don't think there is any element of truth in it," Atem said over phone. "I am out of Dimapur," he added.

NPF president Shurho-zelie Liezietsu also said there was little possibility of such a meeting as he was in Kohima and did not know of any such a meeting.

Liezietsu, however, left room for speculation. "Individually if someone has met, I don't know nor can I stop people from meeting the under-grounds as they live in towns now and are in dialogue with government of India," Liezietsu told The Telegraph.

Ruling out involvement of rebels in polls, the senior leader from Kohima village said he would not allow "any outside force or agency to dictate my party".

Involvement by the NSCN in local Nagaland polls has always been evident in the past although always denied by the rebel outfit.

This time, however, the situation is different as the Nagaland-based NPF is contesting in Manipur's 12 constituencies, allegedly fielding candidates at the behest of the NSCN (I-M).

NPF's symbol, rooster, has been visible for years in elections in Nagaland but it rode to power in 2003.

Rio has been the chief architect of its success by whipping up a regional sentiment and even openly showing respect for "national workers" or rebels. The NPF's agenda has unabashedly been in favour of integrating Naga areas.