Nagaland seeks minister-level interlocutor for solution to Naga conflict

Guwahati: In a significant development in the Naga political dialogue, a political affairs committee in Nagaland comprising all MLAs, MPs and senior leaders on Wednesday adopted a resolution to request the Centre for appointing a political or ministerial level interlocutor to break the impasse in the talks.

The committee chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio resolved that the peace talks with Naga rebel groups be resumed at the political level in order to expedite the negotiation process.

"The House appealed to the Government of India to elevate the ongoing dialogue and peace process to the highest political level by appointing an interlocutor of political level/ministerial level, who has the confidence and mandate of the government," said a statement issued by Nagaland government after the meeting.

Chaired by Rio, the meeting was attended by deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, ministers, MPs, advisors and MLAs.

"The House appreciated the negotiating parties, namely the Government of India and the Naga political groups, of the ongoing Indo-Naga political dialogue for continuing to uphold the principles of the ceasefire agreements and ensuring that there is no breakdown of the talks despite facing several challenges and hurdles in the past two decades," said the statement.

The House appealed to all sections of Naga society to make further efforts towards strengthening unity and oneness in order to bring all stakeholders of the peace process under a spirit of understanding. The House agreed that all participants of the meeting will make more efforts for unity of Naga society.

Naga conflict

The resolution assumes significance given the fact that the negotiations for finding a final solution to the over seven-decade-old Naga conflict has remained inconclusive. AK Mishra, MHA advisor for the Northeast, is now the Centre's interlocutor for talks with the Naga groups.

This comes days after NSCN-IM, the biggest Naga rebel group in ceasefire, stated that its core demand of recognition to Naga flag, Constitution and "integration" of Naga contagious areas is non-negotiable.

Most Naga groups, including the NSCN-IM, claims that Nagas were never part of India and had declared "independence" in 1947. They carried out large-scale armed movement till the NSCN-IM entered into a ceasefire in 1997.

After years of negotiations, a Framework Agreement was signed between the NSCN-IM and the Centre on August 3, 2015 in New Delhi. It was to be the basis for signing a final agreement to end the Naga conflict. But contrasting interpretation of the Framework Agreement by both the NSCN-IM and the Centre delayed the process for signing of a final agreement.