NSCN, Govt in peace pledge

Govt negotiators and Naga leaders end three days of talks in Amsterdam with a resolve to end insurgency.

Government negotiators and leaders of Nagaland's dominant separatist group ended three days of talks in Amsterdam with a resolve to resume discussions early next year to bring the curtains down on nearly six decades of insurgency in the northeastern state.

HT Image

Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes and main peace interlocutor K Padmanabhaiah headed the government team in the discussions that ended Wednesday. Guerrilla leader T Muivah headed the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isaak Muivah (INSCN-IM), the main rebel group in the state.

"The two parties held a series of discussions on outstanding issues and agreed to resume discussions early next year. We are hopeful of making further progress in resolving those issues," a joint communiqué signed by Padmanabhaiah and Muivah said.

The NSCN-IM and the government entered into a ceasefire in August 1997. This has been renewed regularly. The present ceasefire expires June 2007.

The NSCN had in October proposed "a special federal arrangement" that enables the Nagas self-governance although the negotiations ended inconclusively. It is also seeking a separate Naga constitution under a special federal tie up.

"We have reiterated our demands for a special federal arrangement. We were told that our demands will be taken up again in talks in January," a NSCN-IM leader said.

"We have made our point very clear that delaying the peace process would be counter productive as the Nagas are getting restive."

The NSCN-IM is seeking a "Greater Nagaland" by slicing off parts of three neighbouring states to unite 1.2 million Nagas. Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam oppose this.

New Delhi and NSCN-IM have held more than 50 rounds of peace talks in the past nine years to end one of South Asia's longest-running insurgencies.