Nagaland cabinet to meet Amit Shah, NSCN-IM amid impasse over Naga talks

The Nagaland cabinet has decided to meet both the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah and the Centre to push for a resolution to the Naga political dialogue.

IMAGE: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio meets with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi, July 20, 2024.Photograph: ANI Photo

This comes after the NSCN-IM threatened to return to the jungles due to delays in the resolution, and demanded third-party intervention.

A delegation of Nagaland cabinet led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his deputies TR Zeliang and Y Patton are 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 a 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 them (Centre and NSCM-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 said that their meeting with both 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 ministerial level.

"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 or ministerial level, who has the confidence and mandate of the government," the meeting had resolved.

Former Governor of Nagaland, RN Ravi was the last interlocutor for the talks but after being shifted to Tamil Nadu, the Centre appointed AK 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 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 integration of all Naga inhabited areas has not been accepted by the Centre, delaying the final solution.

On the other hand, WC NNPGs, composed of seven Naga groups, have declared to accept whatever is possible for now and continue further negotiations for the remaining demand.