Nagaland: Nagas not excited over interlocutor’s visit 

Nagaland’s apex tribal organisation, Naga Hoho, said it had no expectation from Ravi’s visit. 

GUWAHATI: Tribal organisations in Nagaland are not amused over the upcoming visit of deputy national security advisor R N Ravi to the state. He is coming to brief them of the progress made so far in the ongoing peace parleys between the Centre and Naga rebel groups. 

Nagaland’s apex tribal organisation, Naga Hoho, said it had no expectation from Ravi’s visit.

“There is nothing to be expected. There is no ray of hope at all for any positive outcome. The visit is meaningless,” Naga Hoho president Chuba Ozukum told this correspondent. 

He alleged that the Central government was playing too much with the Nagas.

“Earlier, the NDA had said the Nagaland election was being conducted for solution to the protracted Naga political problem. Now, they (BJP) are saying solution will come after Lok Sabha election. So, there is nothing that we can expect from the Government of India,” Ozukum added. The Naga Hoho had given a call for boycott of last year’s Nagaland election on the popular slogan of “solution before election”.

According to Isak-Muivah faction of insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), Ravi, who is also the interlocutor in Naga peace process, will meet the representatives of Naga civil societies, tribal organisations besides lawmakers.

The former spy officer was appointed as the emissary in Naga talks in 2014 and since then, he has held umpteen rounds of consultations with Naga civil society organisations. During his upcoming visit, the consultations will take place in Dimapur and Kohima.

The Naga peace process started in 1997 when the NSCN-IM had signed the ceasefire agreement with Central government. Over the past two years or so, Ravi had been instrumental in bringing the state’s seven other rebel groups to the talks table. Only one faction of the NSCN (Khaplang) or NSCN-K is outside the purview of peace process.

Meanwhile, opposition Congress has slammed the BJP for its assertion that the Naga issue will be resolved after Lok Sabha elections. Nagaland Congress chief K Therie said 21 years of negotiations without solution was “unreasonable”.

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