Insurgency / Nagaland

March 19: Despite the NSCN (I-M)’s oft-expressed reservations about talking to a bureaucrat, former Union home secretary K. Padmanabhaiah will once again lead the Delhi team in the next round of peace talks, slated for the first week of next month.

Home ministry officials indicated that two rounds of talks would be held with NSCN (I-M) leaders Isak Chisi Swu and Th. Muivah. While one round of discussions will be held in Amsterdam, the other will probably take place in another European capital.

The officials said the NSCN (I-M) leadership had “accepted” Padmanabhaiah as the chief interlocutor...

Dimapur, March 16: Twenty-four hours after two members of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) were shot dead by suspected NSCN (I-M) activists in the heart of Kohima, the NSCN (K) today issued a warning to the coalition government led by the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF). The Khaplang faction told the coalition to shed its “anti-NSCN (K) image or face the consequences”.

The ruling coalition must condemn factional killings, senior NSCN (K) functionary Kughalu Mulatonu told The Telegraph. Reacting to the “threat”, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, now in New Delhi, said his...

SILCHAR, March 16 – The militant outfit Dima Halom Daoga (DHD) today set a deadline of a week to the NSCN(IM) to release their kidnapped cadres. In a fax message to the local media here, the DHD publicity secretary Daoraja Dimasa alleged that the NSCN(IM) had kidnapped the cadres to disrupt the ongoing peace process between the Centre and the outfit.

AIZAWL, March 16 — Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who has been involved in the Naga peace process, today said that the NSCN(I-M) leaders might come to Aizawl from Bangkok to hold talks with him. Talking to reporters at his official residence here, Zoramthanga, who has just returned from Bangkok after holding talks with Naga rebel leaders and some of North-east insurgent groups, said that there was a likelihood of the NSCN leaders meeting him in Aizawl. Commenting his latest meeting with NSCN(I-M) leaders, including its chairman Issac Chishi Swu in Bangkok, he said, “I thought this was the...

Dimapur, March 14: Taking the cue from the Lankan peace process, a top NSCN(I-M) functionary today said his organisation might press for an “external guarantor” in the advanced stages of the political negotiations with New Delhi.

Rh. Raising, a former “home minister” in the insurgent organisation’s “government”, told The Telegraph that a “third party” should stand as guarantor to any agreement his organisation arrives at with the Centre. The guarantor should also oversee future rounds of talks, Raising said.

Drawing a parallel with the Sri Lankan peace initiative, where talks with the LTTE...

SILCHAR, March 11 (NEPS): The NSCN-IM, alleged to be responsible for kidnapping of three Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) cadres reportedly released the abducted persons - Ajir Dimasa, Samil Dimasa and P Kapla. The abduction might be due to differences between the local cadres of the two outfits, intelligence sources said. The Naga outfit abducted the threesome on February 26 from Gayingpur, along the Cachar-Meghalaya border.

The abduction was quite surprising considering the understanding between the two outfits. One Daoraja Dimasa, a civilian, was also abducted along with the three DHD cadres. The...

BANGKOK, March 10 — Underscoring the need for the continuance of the ongoingg Naga peace talks with the Centre, Nagaland NSCN(IM) has urged the Indian Government to depute a politician instead of a bureaucrat to hold parleys with the group, reports PTI.

NSCN sources said they were keen to have a politician at the talks instead of a bureaucrat. “In any talks, there has to be give and take, and it is difficult sometimes to negotiate with non-politicians.”

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who was in Bangkok over the last two days, said he had met with NSCN (IM) chairman Chishi Swu and both...

IMPHAL, March 9 — Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has close touch with his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga over the Indo-Nagaland peace talks which is likely to resume within this month. The Mizoram Chief Minister left the capital Aizawl for Bangkok via Kolkata on March 5. The Zoramthanga’s latest visit to the Thai capital is being largely perceived as one aimed at preparing suitable grounds for the next rounds of peace talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (IM), scheduled to take place soon. Chief Minister Zoramthanga, who used to be a member of the...

KOHIMA, March 8 – Several constituent political parties of Democratic Alliance of Nagaland have expressed serious concern over the NSCN (K)’s recent threats to target at least 17 new legislators elected in the just concluded Nagaland assembly elections. The Deputy Kilonser (Minister) of the NSCN (K), Kughalu Mulatonu told a news agency earlier this week that they would attack the 17 lawmakers---10 from the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) and 7 from BJP. Mulatonu was quoted as saying “We would like to make it clear to the NPF and BJP legislators not to create problems for us and not to go...

NEW DELHI, March 7 — In a bid to capitalise on the ongoing peace talks with the NSCN (I-M), Centre has despatched Mizoram Chief Minister, Zoramthanga to Bangkok to open dialogue with pro-IM underground outfits including the NDFB, highly placed sources said. The development came at a time when name of former interlocutor, Swaraj Kaushal has again come into circulation as the next political negotiator for the Naga peace talks. The chief interlocutor, K Padmanabhiah may be on his way out with Centre looking for his successor.

Indications were that the Mizoram Chief Minister may have carried a...