Naga peace talks: Konyak faction joins working committee of political groups

The Khango Konyak-led faction of the banned NSCN (Khaplang), a Naga insurgent outfit, will take part in the next round of peace talks with the government of India.

The Khango Konyak-led faction of the banned NSCN (Khaplang), a Naga insurgent outfit, will take part in the next round of peace talks with the government of India as it joined the Working Committee (WC) of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) on Tuesday.

Khango Konyak (in suit and hat) with Isak Sumi (to his left, in a black jacket) and members of the civil society pose with members of the Konyak faction of NSCNK).(HT PHOTO)

Khango Konyak-led faction of the NSCN(K) is now the seventh member of the Working Committee (WC) which is in talks with the Centre along with the dominant rebel group NSCN (Isak-Muivah). The government had signed a framework agreement with the NSCN(IM) in 2015 for the resolution of the vexed Naga political issue.

“The Khango-Konyak faction has joined the WC of the NNPGs. They will be part of the delegation in the next round of talks with the Government of India,” confirmed Alezo Venuh, envoy of the NNPGs.

“Taking cognisance of the earnest appeal of the Naga people, the NSCN/GPRN (K) led by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Khango after thorough deliberation, decided to join NNPGs Working Committee maintaining it’s identity and as partner in the ongoing political negotiations with the GOI,” read a deed of the agreement issued by the office of the convener of the NNPGs and signed by Konyak. The meeting took place in Dimapur on Tuesday.

Khango Konyak who took over as the chief of NSCN(K) after the death of S S Khaplang was impeached in August 2018 and given a safe passage to return to Nagaland from Myanmar with his supporters mostly comprising of Nagas from the Indian side.

NSCN(K), which has bases in neighbouring Myanmar, is responsible for several deadly strikes against the security forces since it abrogated the ceasefire in 2015.

It is learnt that the office-bearers of the group including its general secretary Isak Sumi, who is on the most wanted list of the National Investigative Agency has had two rounds of informal meetings with R N Ravi, the deputy national security advisor and interlocutor for the Naga Peace talks in December and January. The meetings were confirmed by Ravi to a newspaper.

“The issue of pending cases will come up in the next round of discussions with the GOI,”’ said Venuh.