Dimapur: The Central government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN)-K (Niki Group) have entered into a ceasefire agreement for a period of one year.
More than 200 cadres of the (NSCN)-K (Niki Group) along with 83 weapons joined the peace process, a statement from the home ministry said.
The agreement that came into effect from September 8 would remain so until September 07, 2022. The ceasefire ground rules would be subjected to mutual review and amendment with the involvement of both the parties.
“In fulfilling the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ‘Insurgency free and prosperous North East’ and in a significant boost to the Naga peace process, under the guidance of Union home minister Amit Shah, the Government of India has entered into a Ceasefire Agreement with National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K) Niki Group,” the home ministry’s statement said.
The NSCN-K (Niki group) is a breakaway faction of the Khaplang-led NSCN (K) which had earlier declared a unilateral abrogation of the ceasefire with the Centre in 2015.
However, in December 2020, the splinter group led by Niki Sumi had signaled a return to the peace talks by issuing a statement informing of its decision to revive ceasefire with immediate effect “by revoking the earlier decision of unilateral abrogation” taken in 2015.
In a bid to make the northeast insurgency free, the Government of India had in August, 2019 signed an agreement with NLFT (SD) by which 88 cadres along with 44 weapons joined the mainstream of society in Tripura.
In January 2020, with the signing of Bodo Agreement, more than 2,250 cadres of insurgent groups, including all factions of NDFB, along with 423 weapons and huge quantities of ammunition surrendered in Assam and joined the mainstream.
On February 23 this year, a total of 1040 leaders/cadres of various underground Karbi groups of Assam surrendered along with 338 weapons and the same was followed by the signing of the Karbi Anglong Agreement on September 04.
