What the Chümoukedima District Village Councils Association (CDVCA) has demanded in issuing a reminder on the chairman of the Cease Fire Monitoring Group (CFMG) and Cease Fire Supervisory Board(CFSB) involves the entire state with regard to maintenance of peace while pursuing peaceful solution. The CDVCA has called for an urgent overhaul of the current ceasefire ground rules signed between the government of India with various Naga Political Groups(NPGs). In the representation addressed to the chairman CFMG/CFSB, the CDVCA pointed out that armed factions who signed bilateral agreements with the government of India were blatantly violating the cease fire ground rules. CDVCA identified loopholes in the existing CFGR protocol as factors that enabled criminal conduct under the pretext of armed struggle. CDVCA mentioned how designated camps established to facilitate truce monitoring have instead, evolved into sanctuaries for carrying out serious crimes, including ransom kidnappings, extortion rings and other illicit operations. It said such locations which were supposed to be neutral spaces for dialogue and conflict resolution, are used to shelter perpetrators from law enforcement and thus , hampering public safety and eroding community trust. CDVCA also pointed out that ceasefire offices maintained by the factions, often located in densely populated hamlets, are being misused as detention centers. Residents complain that individuals arrested/abducted for ransom or coercion are held in these premises that prevent police intervention under the misplaced belief that such locations are beyond legal reach. This is how factions exploit the ceasefire provisions by treating their camps and offices as inviolable zones. CDVCA said that the distortion arose due to a sense of impunity provided through issuance of identity card to faction members, who take these cards as implicit protection of the ceasefire framework to carry out unlawful activities with no fear of accountability. In view of the failure to enforce rule of law, CDVCA has advocated several critical changes in the CFGR such as – that after verified intelligence of criminal acts, faction camps should be subject to immediate police raids and searches; that all ceasefire monitoring/ supervisory offices must be relocated outside civilian zones to eliminate the threat of armed enclaves. In addition CDVCA also demanded a ban on public display of firearms by faction functionaries in markets and thoroughfares. It also criticized how armed escorts move without restraint, projecting an aura of invulnerability that undermines the state’s monopoly on legitimate force. CDVCA said such visible militarization erodes civilian confidence and normalizes weapon presence in daily life. In order to remove all such serious loopholes and to restore community safety, CDVCA demanded that card holders and their personal security officers conceal their weapons in public and discontinue police protection for faction leaders as it was putting a strain on the already overstretched forces while at the same time, demoralizing officers asked to guard individuals who maintain their own armed wings. It called for transparency around ceasefire card issuance and making the list publicly available and tightening eligibility criteria to deter the belief that these documents grant unfettered license for criminal conduct. CDVCA also called for strict audits of card distribution and disclosure to hold potential offenders accountable. Summing up its stand, CDVCA reminded that while ceasefire agreements were intended to foster dialogue and pave the way for a lasting political settlement; continued recruitment of new cadre and procurement of additional arms only send a contradictory message, suggesting preparation for future conflict rather than commitment to peace.
Friday, August 22, 2025