Poilwa (Peren), Jan. 6: On a chilly December morning on a mist-covered hilltop of the Poilwa range, armed cadre go about their daily drills with their usual military precision. But despite the razor-sharp glares of the NSCN (I-M) activists at “outsiders”, there is a kind of warmth in their body language. They say it is all due to the “end of the long wait”. At the council and general headquarters of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) here, the visit of their “collective leadership” to Delhi for starting the talks at the political level has raised the hopes of the “Naga freedom-fighters” to a level never seen before.
“Yes, we are hopeful that this round of talks will be very fruitful. But we are not unrealistic. We know that it is impossible to find an immediate solution,” a functionary of the outfit, identified as Hobson, told The Telegraph.
Like Hobson, most of the cadre are addressed mainly by their nicknames. “It is a necessity that comes with the job,” he said.
He said the mood in the camp was one of euphoria. “The government of India has made the right gestures till now. We hope Delhi will keep its commitment of honouring the sentiments of the Nagas,” he added. Ever since the ceasefire agreement came into force in 1997, the cadre has remained “confined” to the camp, “waiting for orders from the leadership”.
The headquarters were shifted to this place recently from Niuland near Dimapur. Clusters of huts house the cadre, a large number of them women, in the camp. It also boasts a well-stocked armoury. Women cadre, sophisticated arms slung on their backs, cook food at the community kitchen. “We are used to it. Cooking for so many people imparts a feeling of camaraderie and brotherhood and these two qualities we have in plenty,” a senior functionary said.