Nagaland CM Rio to lead Cabinet to meet Union HM on Naga political dialogue

PTI, Kohima, November 17, 2024 : With the NSCN-IM threatening to go back to the jungles due to the delay in the resolution of the Naga political dialogue with the Government of India, the Nagaland cabinet has decided to meet both negotiating parties at the earliest, official sources said on Sunday. A delegation of the Nagaland Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his deputies T.R. Zeliang and Y. Patton, is scheduled to leave for Delhi on Monday to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to press for expediting the Naga political negotiations, the sources said.

In a statement, NSCN-IM General Secretary Th. Muivah has alleged that the Centre was "deliberately refusing" to honour the key provisions of the historic agreement, specifically the recognition of the "Naga national flag and constitution." Threatening "violent armed conflict," the NSCN-IM on November 7 sought third-party intervention to address the impasse over the Naga political issue. The group, which has maintained ceasefire since 1997, accused the Centre of "betraying" the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015.

In an interview with a news channel on Saturday, Zeliang had said that a cabinet meeting held during the day had deliberated on Muivah's statement and therefore decided to meet the Union Home Minister and also the NSCN-IM leadership. On NSCN-IM seeking third-party intervention, Zeliang had said that unless there is an understanding between the Centre and NSCN-IM, third-party intervention may not help them. "There should be a meeting point... both sides should reconsider and come to an understanding," he had told the news channel.

Sources said that before leaving for Delhi, the state cabinet is approaching the NSCN-IM leadership for deliberation. However, sources added that their meeting with both the Centre and NSCN-IM leadership has not been scheduled.

Sources also said that the state Cabinet would also apprise the Union Home Minister about the decision of the September 12 consultative meeting of the state government with Naga tribal bodies and civil societies, seeking the appointment of a proper interlocutor and also to elevate the ongoing Naga political dialogue to the ministerial level.

"The House appealed to the Government of India (GoI) to elevate the ongoing dialogue and peace process to the highest political level by appointing an interlocutor of political or ministerial level, who has the confidence and mandate of the government," the meeting had resolved.

Former Governor of Nagaland, R.N. Ravi, was the last interlocutor for the talks, but after being shifted to Tamil Nadu, the Centre appointed A.K. Mishra only as a representative. The Centre has been holding negotiations with NSCN-IM since 1997 following the ceasefire agreement and inked the Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015. It also started parallel talks with the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WCNNPGs) in 2017 and signed the Agreed Position the same year. The then interlocutor Ravi had "declared talks have concluded on October 30, 2019."

However, the persistent demand of NSCN-IM for a separate flag and constitution for Nagas and the integration of all Naga-inhabited areas has not been accepted by the Centre, delaying the final solution. On the other hand, WCNNPGs, composed of seven Naga groups, have declared to accept whatever is possible for now and continue further negotiations for the remaining demand.