NEW DELHI: A delegation of insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) will leave for New Delhi on Monday to discuss some “unresolved matters” with central government officials on Tuesday.
The NSCN (IM), which had earlier raised the issues of Flag and Constitution, is keen for talks with the Centre based on clauses and promises made in the Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015. The NSCN (IM) delegation is likely to meet Central leaders and representatives on September 20.
Former Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang, who is the chairman of ruling United Democratic Alliance in the state, said that the NSCN-IM agreed to resume the process respecting a request of the Core Committee on Naga Political Issue.
The Nagaland government-constituted Core Committee and a team of the NSCN-IM had met on Saturday.
T R Zeliang, the co-convenor of the core committee, said, “The NSCN has agreed to resume talks on the condition that they are based on the Framework Agreement and the formulation papers submitted to N N Ravi and A K Mishra,”
In September 2021 Mr R N Ravi was succeeded by Mr Mishra, a former special director of the Intelligence Bureau, as the Centre’s interlocutor for the Naga peace process in September 2021. Ravi happens to be the Governor of Tamil Nadu. The Framework Agreement, which the Centre had signed with the outfit in 2015 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and “formulation papers”, submitted to the Centre.
Recently, a Nagaland government delegation, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, had visited Delhi and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to impress upon him to resolve the problem early. He, however, pushed the ball in the Nagaland government’s court by asking the Naga leaders to try and convince the NSCN-IM to sign the final agreement.
The Rio-led coalition government is acting as a facilitator for early solution to the Naga issue. Zeliang reiterated it by stating that the Core Committee, which is made up of legislators, was only conveying the feelings of the Nagas and the Centre to the negotiating parties. The Naga solution hangs fire ostensibly as the NSCN-IM has stuck to its guns on the “non-negotiable” demand of Naga flag and constitution. The Centre has already rejected it.
The government held separate peace talks with the NSCN-IM and seven groups which came together under the banner of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs). The process of talks has already concluded.
The Nagaland Core Committee initially proposed to meet the Naga rebel leaders after September 22 when the assembly session would end. However, in between due to certain developments the meeting was advanced and held on Saturday, September 17.
In a major development on Sept 13, the two rival camps NSCN (IM) and NNPG came together and signed a joint statement stating – “We are aware of our differences” and therefore all individuals and organisations should “refrain” from all forms of “rhetoric, assumptions and agendas that are divisive”.
Unlike the NSCN-IM, the groups in the NNPGs are flexible. They say the contentious issues could be pursued post-settlement.
Meetings with PM and Home Minister
The Framework Agreement, which the Centre had signed with the outfit in 2015 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and “formulation papers”, submitted to the Centre. Recently, a Nagaland government delegation, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, had visited Delhi and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to impress upon him to resolve the problem early.