The Hindu : Naga talks put off

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 25, 2002

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Naga talks put off

New Delhi Dec. 24. The visit of the leaders of the Naga insurgent group NSCN (I-M), who were expected here this weekend for crucial peace talks with the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, has been postponed by about 10 days because of "logistical reasons", official sources said today.

The NSCN (I-M) chairman, Isak Chisi Swu, and Thuingaleng Muivah "are expected towards the end of the first week of January".

Asked what were the logistical reasons, the sources said that among them were availability of the top Indian leaders for the talks, besides Mr. Swu and Mr. Muivah getting their travel documents and air tickets.

They said the two Naga leaders, who would be coming from Europe, would be given Indian travel documents. This would be their first visit to India in the last 30 years for negotiations to resolve the decades-old Naga insurgency problem.

While the NSCN (I-M) general secretary, Mr. Muivah, who already possesses an Indian passport, is expected to arrive from The Hague, Mr. Swu and three others have been issued passports by the Indian mission in Oslo and will arrive here from the Norwegian capital.

The meeting between the Naga delegation and Mr. Vajpayee would be attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani.

"Even though no accord is likely to be reached at the parleys, the talks with the highest Indian leadership are expected to provide a major boost to bring peace in Nagaland, affected by decades of insurgency," the sources said.

The Government has already acceded to the demand of the 3000-strong insurgent outfit by allowing the ban on it to lapse beyond November 26 and withdrawing cases against Mr. Muivah for an alleged plot to assassinate the Nagaland Chief Minister, S.C. Jamir.

Since the 1997 Centre-NSCN (I-M) ceasefire accord, Mr. Swu and Mr. Muivah have been holding peace negotiations with the Centre's interlocutor, K. Padmanabhaiah, and successive intelligence bureau chiefs, including the present Director, K.P. Singh, in third countries like the Netherlands and Thailand.

PTI

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