Just 500 metres from the Dimapur airport, half a dozen Naga youth are giving finishing touches to a traditional arch to welcome top NSCN (IM) leaders Issak Chisi Swu and Thiungaleng Muivah, as a convoy of police vehicles check the route that the two would take tomorrow.Groups of Nagas are pouring in to this commercial hub and gateway to Nagaland from different districts of Nagaland and Manipur by the busloads to participate in a public reception organised outside the airport. Swu and Muivah are arriving from Kolkata by air tomorrow afternoon, after a discussion with Left Front leaders Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. They will be in Nagaland till Christmas and will return to New Delhi for another round of discussions with the Government.‘‘We have sanitised the entire district of Dimapur during the past three days so that no miscreant can cause any mischief during the crucial visit of our top leadership,’’ Kraibo Chawang, deputy kilonser (minister) holding charge of information and publicity in the ‘Government of People’s Republic of Nagaland’ told The Indian Express. The deputy kilonser said that two hardcore cadres of the rival NSCN-K were apprehended by the NSCN-IM ‘‘sentinels’’ at Burma Camp and Vidimia areas of the city yesterday. They also recovered one G3 rifle, a 9 mm pistol and a 7.65 SLR during raids conducted at various places. The NSCN (IM) has deployed about 100 armed cadres to ensure security of the top leaders, while the state police have also beefed up security for the two who are officially visiting their home state for the first time in 37 years. They did come in 1999, but it was ‘‘under a special arrangement’’ and there were no public receptions or engagements then.‘‘We have the security responsibility of the NSCN leaders from the airport to Dayapur, which is eight km short of their council headquarters,’’ said Dimapur SP Janardan Singh. From Dayapur onwards it will be the sole responsibility of the NSCN(IM) itself to provide security to the leaders ‘‘because we cannot enter the designated camps under the ceasefire rules.’’ Dseputy kilonser Chawang on the other hand said the NSCN(IM) would provide its own Z-plus security cover to Swu and Muivah once they land here tomorrow. He said while a public reception outside the airport would be attended by over 10,000 Nagas from Nagaland as well as Manipur, the GPRN would accord its official reception at Jalukie Kam, 40 km from here. Meanwhile, the rival NSCN(K) faction has announced halting of ‘‘all military operations’’ after December 15 in order to ensure one of the most peaceful Christmases for Nagas.‘‘Nagas have witnessed many fratricides on Christmases in the past. But this time we are optimistic that peace and unity will definitely be achieved,’’ a statement issued by NSCN(K) general secretary N Kitovi Zhimoni said.
