Not in hurry for cabinet reshuffle, says Nagaland Chief Minister

Says Naga peace talks back on track

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 27 (EMN): Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday said that Nagaland government is not in a hurry for cabinet reshuffle although discussions are going after the legislators came together for Naga political issue.

He was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of an event in Kohima on Monday.

“Let the talk (Naga peace talk) resume and let the things get into order, so that we will think about an opposition-less government,” said Rio.

When asked about the role of Assam Chief Minister and NEDA Convener, Himanta Biswas Sarma in the Naga political issue and meeting the Naga political groups (NPGs) recently, Rio said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had requested both of them to assist the peace talks and help bring about an understanding.

He further asserted that both of them (Rio and Sarma) are having consultations with the government of India (GoI) as well as convey Indian government’s perspective to the negotiating parties. For this reason, he said, Assam CM came to Dimapur recently and apprised the stand of the Centre to the NPGs.

Rio maintained that the prime minister and union home minister have conveyed the message about the government of India’s keenness to bring a solution so that peace and development can be accelerated in the region.

Meanwhile, he said that the Naga peace talks stopped for about two years because of differences of opinion and some other issues, however, after a long time, the GoI and the NSCN (IM) had agreed to resume the talk after the appointment of AK Mishra as the interlocutor.

He asserted that Mishra had recently met with the NSCN (IM) and the Working Committee, Naga National Political Groups (WC NNPG) in Dimapur and there will be only one interlocutor to talk to all the Naga political groups.

He added that the NSCN (IM) had been invited to continue the negotiation in Delhi, which the group had agreed.

The chief minister went on to say the Niki Sumi-led NSCN (K) had signed ceasefire agreement with the GoI and the group leader had subsequently made a statement that it had no issues to discuss. He asserted that the group is part of the negotiation and is prepared to sign the agreement with other groups ‘when things are ready’.

He said that Mishra could not meet Niki this time but he (Rio) is in touch with him and will discuss at the right time.