Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on September 16 that the state government’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) discussed the delay in resuming the Naga political negotiations and the proposed formation of an apex committee during a closed-door consultation at Chumoukedima.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rio said the discussions focused on the reasons for the delay in the talks and the proposed structure of the apex committee, which is still being worked out. “We discussed why the talks are delayed and the constitution of the apex committee for discussion, which is in negotiation. So after that, talks will start,” he said.
Rio had recently said that the Naga peace talks had stalled while addressing a gathering of the Angami tribe. He had also expressed hope that the negotiations would resume following Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assurance that a Union Minister of State for Home Affairs would be appointed as the interlocutor for the talks.
NSCN-IM leader Rh Raising, however, described the Chumoukedima meeting as a consultation rather than a formal negotiation. Asked about the way forward, Raising said the next step depended on the other side. “It depends on… not on us. The ball is in their court,” he said.
The NSCN-IM has been engaged in negotiations with the Centre since entering into a ceasefire agreement in 1997. The two sides signed the Framework Agreement in August 2015, but a final political settlement has remained pending.
Several issues continue to remain unresolved, including the NSCN-IM’s demand for a separate Naga flag and constitution and its position on the integration of Naga-inhabited areas. These differences have remained among the key issues in the prolonged negotiations.
The NSCN-IM has also distanced itself from a recent meeting between former Nagaland chief minister SC Jamir and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, during which the Naga political issue was reportedly discussed.
Raising said Jamir was not authorised to represent the Naga people on the political issue. “Jamir is not the advocate of the Naga people, and he does not have the right to talk on the issue of the Nagas,” he said.
Another NSCN-IM leader, VS Atem, also rejected the idea that those involved in the meeting could represent the Naga people in the ongoing political negotiations. He said they were not authorised or mandated to represent the Naga people in the dialogue.
The latest consultation between the PAC and NSCN-IM comes as efforts continue to find a way to restart the stalled political dialogue. The proposed apex committee is still under discussion, while questions over its composition and representation remain part of the ongoing process.
