Kohima, Dec 6 (NationPress) The General Secretary of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), Thuingaleng Muivah, expressed profound sorrow on Saturday following the passing of former Mizoram governor Swaraj Kaushal, who left this world at the age of 73.

Kaushal's demise occurred on Thursday.

The esteemed lawyer was married to the late former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj and was the father of BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj.

In a statement on Saturday, the NSCN-IM leader remarked that he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of Kaushal, who had served as the Indian Interlocutor during the Naga peace negotiations.

Kaushal was a distinguished lawyer and politician, enjoying respect from both Indians and Nagas, Muivah noted.

Muivah, who has been a pivotal figure in the Naga peace discussions with the Union government since the NSCN-IM declared a ceasefire in 1997, highlighted that Kaushal played an essential role in the peace talks with the Mizo National Front (MNF), culminating in the signing of the Mizoram Accord in 1986. He was recognized as an authority on Northeast India affairs.

He (Swaraj Kaushal) was the inaugural official interlocutor to commence peace dialogues with the NSCN in 1998 in Bangkok (Thailand) during the tenure of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the NSCN-IM leader recounted.

“I still vividly recall what he stated during one of our discussions in 1998, ‘Wherever they (the 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’,” the nonagenarian Naga leader remembered.

He added, “Prior to his (Kaushal's) appointment as Interlocutor, I, along with my NSCN colleagues, 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. I last met Swaraj Kaushal in October 2020 in New Delhi and had a candid conversation with him. He was a very rational man with a deep understanding of the Naga political issue.”

Expressing heartfelt sorrow, Muivah stated that the untimely passing of Swaraj Kaushal represents a significant loss for the nation, referring to him as a distinguished Indian statesman and a true friend to the NSCN and the Nagas.

The NSCN-IM leader extended his sincere condolences to the family of Swaraj Kaushal and to the people of India.

Born on July 12, 1952, in Solan, Swaraj Kaushal was a prominent criminal lawyer who received his education in Delhi and Chandigarh. He served as Mizoram Governor from 1990 to 1993 and was a member of Parliament from 1998 to 2004, representing the Haryana Vikas Party.

Kaushal was a Rajya Sabha member from 1998-99 and from 2000-2004.

He married Sushma Swaraj in 1975, and their only child, Bansuri Swaraj, currently serves as a BJP Lok Sabha member from the New Delhi constituency.

Former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj passed away due to a cardiac arrest in New Delhi on August 6, 2019.

Throughout his career, Kaushal gained recognition as an expert on the Northeast region and its insurgency challenges.

He is remembered for his crucial role in the signing of the Mizoram Peace Accord in 1986, which concluded two decades of insurgency. Furthermore, he was appointed the first Advocate General of Mizoram in 1987.