Centre’s interlocutor for Naga peace talks returns to Delhi

Our Reporter
Dimapur, April 25 (EMN): The government of India’s interlocutor for Naga Peace talks, AK Mishra, on Monday left Nagaland for New Delhi after a week-long stay in the state, holding hectic parleys with Naga political groups and leaders of civil society organisations in an attempt to resolve the vexed Naga political issue.

Mishra had an informal one-on-one meeting with the NSCN (IM)’s General Secretary and Chief Negotiator, Th. Muivah at Chümoukedima Police Complex on Monday morning before taking a flight to Delhi a few hours later, said sources.

It was the second one-on-one meeting between the two within one week. Mishra had travelled to Hebron Camp on Tuesday last week and had an informal talk with Muivah, a first for an interlocutor to initiate such a meeting at the NSCN (IM)’s headquarters.

However, the source refused to divulge any details about the outcome of the Monday’s closed-door meeting between Mishra and Muivah.

Mishra, who arrived in Nagaland on April 18, had a meeting with the church leaders and civil societies before holding talks with the Working Committee, Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPG), and twice with the NSCN (IM).

The former special director of the Intelligence Bureau succeeded RN Ravi as the government of India’s interlocutor for Naga peace talks in September last year.

The Centre had signed the Framework Agreement with NSCN (IM) on August 3, 2015 and the Agreed Position with the WC-NNPG on November 17, 2017 but the final settlement to the vexed Naga political issue is still elusive with the NSCN (IM) remaining firm on its demand for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas.