Naga peace talks between Centre, NSCN (IM) postponed

The peace talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN (IM)) that was scheduled to take place today in Delhi, based on the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015, has been postponed.

As per sources, the meeting is likely to take place on September 21.

The NSCN (IM) had ‘agreed’ to resume peace talks with the Centre following a meeting between 11 representatives of the extremist group and the 22-member core committee on Naga political issue comprising MPs and MLAs of Nagaland at Chumoukedima near Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur September 17, 2022.

On September 17, members of the core committee and delegates from the NSCN-IM met for two hours in Chumoukedima and the meeting was held after the Centre asked the core panel, led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, to convince the outfit to resume peace talks and reach a final solution.

The union government has been holding two separate parleys with the NSCN(IM) since 1997 and the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) comprising seven organizations since 2017. 

The Centre signed a framework agreement with the NSCN(IM) on August 3, 2015, and also entered into an agreed position with NNPGs in December 2017.

On NSCN-IM discontinuing negotiations since May, Zeliang said, "They are not happy with interlocutor A K Mishra over the omission of some of the politically important points, which were included in the formulation paper submitted by former interlocutor NN Ravi."

''The NSCN-IM has told the core committee that the outfit would resume peace talks if it is based on the framework agreement and on the formulation papers submitted by Ravi and the Centre's current interlocutor A K Mishra", the UDA chairman said. 

Zeliang clarified that the core committee’s role as a facilitator remains unchanged, adding, ''Things are working out and we hope that the talks will resume very soon." 

Rh Raising, a member of the NSCN-IM leadership, told reporters that a team of the outfit will soon leave for Delhi to hold parleys with the Centre.

The framework agreement signed between the Centre and the NSCN-IM came after over 80 rounds of negotiations since a ceasefire pact was sealed in 1997 after decades of insurgency, which started in Nagaland soon after Independence in 1947.