Centre’s interlocutor for Naga peace talks in Nagaland

Dimapur, April 18 (PTI): Centre’s interlocutor for Naga Peace talks, A K Mishra arrived here on Monday and is likely to meet NSCN(IM) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and other leaders of the outfit at their Camp Hebron during his week-long stay to resolve the vexed Naga political issue.

If the meeting takes place it will be the first time that negotiations on the Naga issue will be held inside the NSCN(IM) camp.

Mishra, for whom this will be second visit since taking up the office of the interlocutor, is likely to go to the NSCN(IM) headquarters as Muivah, who is an octogenarian, is ill, sources said.

The interlocutor will also be meeting the working committee of Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) which comprise of at least eight Naga groups, the sources said.

The Centre is holding separate talks with the NSCN(IM) since 1997 and the NNPGs from 2017. It signed the framework agreement with NSCN(IM) on August 3, 2015 and an Agreed Position with NNPG on November 17, 2017.

However, no final solution has been achieved till date with the NSCN(IM) remaining firm on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas.

Mishra will also meet the state government’s core committee on Naga political issue, which is headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Naga civil societies, officials said.

Mishra, a former special director of the Intelligence Bureau, succeeded the then interlocutor, former Nagaland Governor R N Ravi, who has been transferred to Tamil Nadu as its governor in September last year.

Cong leader writes to Amit Shah on Naga peace talks

Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday urging him to implement the two agreements signed between the central government and the Naga groups for resolving the Naga issue.

Chowdhury said the late Rajiv Gandhi had offered to hold unconditional talks with Naga insurgents over three decades ago and the negotiations started in 1997.

“At present, we have two official agreements between the central government and Naga insurgents — the framework agreement signed at the residence of Prime Minister on August 3, 2015 between R N Ravi, Interlocutor, and Th. Muivah, General Secretary of NSCN (IM), and the agreed points signed between R N Ravi and the working committee of six factions of Naga Nation Political Groups (NNPGs) on November 17, 2017,” he said.

“Stakeholders, after consideration of the agreed points, are demanding for implementation of the agreements. In view of the above, I request you to kindly implement the above mentioned agreements so that the Nagaland issue is resolved,” Chowdhury said in his letter to Shah.

He also said that Governor Ravi, in his address to the Nagaland Assembly in February 2021, had declared that the talks have concluded.

“Thereafter, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio moved a resolution demanding resumption of talks instead of endorsing the implementation of agreements. This is what we call a flip-flop,” the Congress leader alleged.

The Naga issue has been pending for long and peace talks have been stuck over some matters.

The Centre has been holding peace talks with various factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and the Naga National Political Groups for resolution to the Naga issue and bringing peace to Nagaland.