NEW DELHI, Nov 27 ? The Centre has proposed to rush an emissary to meet the NSCN (IM) leaders to persuade them to come for talks with the Government of India, Nagaland, Chief Minister, N. Rio told newsmen here today. A visibly tense-looking Chief Minister has air dashed to Delhi to press the Centre to break the unexpected deadlock in the Naga peace process.
After a half-an-hour-long meeting with Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil at his North Block office, the Chief Minister managed to extract an assurance that an emissary would be sent to meet the Naga leaders. The responsibility is again likely to fall on the shoulder of chief interlocutor, K.Padmanabhaiah. The interlocutor has issued a clarification last week but was not to the satisfaction of the NSCN (IM) leadership.
The Nagaland Chief Minister, meanwhile, wanted the Centre to issue another clarification as desired by the NSCN (IM) leadership to save the peace process. Later talking to newsmen, Rio described the latest developments as unfortunate, adding that he has suggested to Sri Patil to remove all the hurdles to pave the way for visit by the Naga leaders to India. He said that efforts were on to establish contact with the NSCN (IM) and remove the misunderstanding. The Union Home Minister has assured that the Centre would make all efforts to persuade them to come for talks.
Meanwhile, sources in the Home Ministry said that efforts were on to talk to the NSCN (IM) leaders and was keen that the peace process continues. The NSCN (IM), which has a ceasefire pact with Government of India, jolted it, when it claimed that it has definite evidence suggesting that its agencies were arming and encouraging rival factions like the NNC and Khaplang faction.
Their anger was traced back to recent statements by the rival Khaplang faction, which in the recent past had gone on the overdrive criticising the I-M faction. The developments that came on the eve of the arrival of the Naga leaders to Delhi obviously did not go down well with NSCN (IM) leadership who called off the visit indefinitely.