'UPA for early settlement of Naga issue'

The Centre had decided to maintain transparency in its on-going peace talks with the NSCN (IM).

Welcoming the visit of the NSCN (IM) top brass to India, the Congress on Sunday said the UPA Government was sincere and committed to resolving the decades-old Naga question.

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The Congress Working Committee member and the party's Northeast incharge, Ramesh Chennithala, said the Centre had decided to maintain transparency in its on-going peace talks with the NSCN (IM).

NSCN (IM) chairman Isaac Chishi Swu and general secretary Th Muivah are scheduled to arrive in Delhi late on Sunday night to meet leaders and representatives of various Naga organisations based in India during their stay in the country.

Chennithala told newsmen at Dimapur that the Congress' sincerity towards finding a lasting solution to the Naga problem could be gauged from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's extending invitation to the NSCN (IM) leaders to visit India for holding talks.

The Congress hoped that the talks would be positive and yield some results. He discounted the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland's allegation that the Congress has been a stumbling block in carrying forward the Naga peace process.