Nagaland: Muivah condoles demise of first Interlocutor

NSCN (I-M) ato kilonser Th. Muivah has expressed deep sorrow at the passing of former Indian Interlocutor to the Indo-Naga peace talks, Swaraj Kaushal, who passed away on December 4 in New Delhi at the age of 73.
Muivah described Kaushal as a distinguished lawyer and politician, respected by both Indians and Nagas, and recalled his prominent role in the peace negotiations with the Mizo National Front that culminated in the Mizoram Accord of 1986. He noted that Kaushal, well-versed in issues of the North East, became the first official Indian Interlocutor to engage with the NSCN in 1998 during the premiership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Bangkok.
Recollecting a remark from their 1998 meeting, Muivah quoted Kaushal as saying: “Wherever they (NSCN) are, we observe ceasefire, even abroad. Yes, very definitely. It covers Delhi and even Paris. After all, it is not that they will be killing each other in a particular area and discussing peace in another area. What is required is a conducive atmosphere for a discussion.”
Muivah mentioned that prior to Kaushal’s appointment as Interlocutor, he and NSCN team had met Indian leaders including P.V. Narasimha Rao, Rajesh Pilot, H.D. Deve Gowda, Satish Chandra and N.N. Vohra between 1995 and 1997. He also recalled his last meeting with Kaushal in October 2020 in New Delhi, describing him as a rational individual with a profound understanding of the Naga political issue. Mourning his demise, Muivah said Kaushal was “a friend of the NSCN in particular and the Nagas in general,” and conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and the people of India. He prayed for the departed soul to rest in eternal peace.