NSCN-IM has agreed to resume peace talks with Centre: Zeliang

Nagaland’s United Democratic Alliance Chairman T R Zeliang on September 18 claimed that the NSCN-IM has agreed to resume peace talks with the Centre to try to resolve irritants to the Naga peace talks.

Zeliang, who also serves as co-chairman of the state government's core committee on the Naga political problem, stated that an NSCN-IM team will likely leave for Delhi on September 18.

Negotiations between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) have been stalled since May.

On September 18, 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. 

"Things are working out and we hope that the talks will resume very soon," he said.

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. 

However, the final solution is yet to see the light of the day. The delay in finding the final solution is because of the persistent demand of the NSCN-IM for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas.