We often hear of the phrase "Baying at the moon".
It describes a pointless, futile, or ineffective strategy or action. It's somewhat like a situation when a dog or a wolf howls at the moon and that would have no effect on the celestial body itself.
Peace and Development are inter connected. Any government in New Delhi will be interested to fight the insurgency menace. The issues in north east are not merely law and order. It never was.
At the national level Indian democracy is now passing through a stage that requires a careful sizing up of its polity. In north east India, the issues are far complicated. The demographic changes in north east as elsewhere in the country do not unfold in isolation. Like we can make out from states such as West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand; the demographic changes create 'fertile ground/virgin land' for political as well as socio-cultural fragmentation.
Nagas and Mizos and other indigenous habitants are not realising these. The fact of the matter is Zo-nationalism taking up a 'crusade' for a unified Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi identity carries potent secessionist undertones.
According to Lt Gen Abhay Krishna (Retd), a former army commander, -- "In Nagaland too an accelerating influx of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingyas may actually alter the cultural demography".
Talking to this journalist - he said - "In days to come this will lead to comprising the identity and rich cultural heritage of the Naga people in next two-three decades".
Having led three army commands including the Eastern front; General Abhay Krishna understands some finer and minute aspects perhaps better than many people.
In our interaction he said: "Armed militancy linger outside democratic and electoral mainstream. But a finish line continues to remain elusive".
He further went on -- "To close this .... there is a need for a calibrated strategy. That move should combine effective enforcement of the rule.... but there should be an offer for the insurgent groups to embrace a clearly time bounded trajectory towards integration".
Perhaps he is concerned that the Naga peace parleys that commenced in 1997 and that seemingly came near Solution and final act stage twice if not more --- is still unresolved. He does not answer my questions directly.
He instead described the entire north east India as a "conduit or a well networked bridge through which the Golden Triangle's narcotics, weapons, counterfeit currency and human trafficking enter India".
Perhaps only then he comes to the moot point.
"These nuisances are actually the financial veins that sustain insurgency and typical anti-India movements and sloganeering. Denying the financial flow of these active networks will be akin to starving the shadow economy that fuels fragmentation and all security-related problems".
Talking on these issues, one can obviously state that corruption in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram and other states made headlines in the past. They may yet again provide fodder to the news hunters. But a typical characteristic about the corruption is that the law of the land holds no terror for the corrupt.
The ED and CBI actions have made people nervous in some mainland states no doubt. But in the northeast - the scale of give-and-take Neta-babu raj might have come down; but they have not vanished.
About Nagaland, long time back M J Akbar wrote: "Payments are made here for works done in heaven". The reality is despite some big claims on PM Narendra Modi's 'Na Khaunga and Na Khane doonga' - life has moved on steadily in some of the state capitals.
The Netas swearing by India's constitution continue to have nexus with the ultras. The Bhai bhai syndromes have to be hit. And that's not happening yet.
More than a decade back a local reader in Dimapur's ‘Morung Express’ newspaper had written: 'Democracy was replaced by money-cracy, muscle-cracy and gun-cracy and proxy voters'.
This was around 2011.
Asked to prescribe a few medicines to tackle fundamental maladies of north east; Lt Gen Abhay Krishna (retd) says --
"Go for a multi-layered strategy... You must be laughing at what I am saying;because you have it multiple times. But of all these ... rhetoric or otherwise, I will recommend that the counter insurgency should evolve counter-subversion.
"That means we not only have to target armed combatants but also destabilise and hit recruitment and ideological indoctrination systems. Surveillance of cyber space of extremists and their ecosystem will be as critical as radar watches".
Of course these are challenging times. Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla took additional charge of Nagaland state on August 25th. He succeeds La Ganesan, who expired earlier this month. Bhalla will be under multiple types of challenges and pressure tactics.
In general Naga leaders are optimistic that as a former Home Secretary in Delhi, Bhalla would be able to deliver on both fronts – the peace and development. Time is the best drug.
Naga social activist Theja Therieh welcomed the appointment of Bhalla as the new Governor and said:: "Now he (Bhalla) should give the necessary push to concretise the peace agreement. Prolonged negotiation is a heavy burden on the people. Solution is possible if there is a political will. Probably Ajay Kumar Bhalla should have come as a Governor much earlier. But now he is coming by circumstances. Most welcome”.

Email:------------------------------------nirendelhi@gmail.com