NEW DELHI, Oct 18: The modalities for talks with the outlawed NDFB would be in line with the dialogue with Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is likely to convene a meeting with Assam Government shortly to finalise them, highly placed sources said.
In a day of fast-paced development, a crucial internal meeting was held at the North Block here today to review the developing situation in the Northeast. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil was briefed by the officials, where the proposal of the Assam Government came up for deliberations.
The Union Home Minister in the morning met President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and briefed him about the latest developments in the Northeast, particularly in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur in the aftermath of the blasts in two of the States. Sources said that a crucial round of meeting with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was scheduled to be held shortly on the issues of dialogue with the NDFB and intensification of counter-insurgency drives against the ULFA.
Meanwhile, officials in the MHA were of the view that the dialogue with the Bodo outfit should be along the same lines as those held with the BLT. The Chief Minister?s opinion that it be held along the line of NSCN(I-M) does not find favour, as in that case an interlocutor has to be appointed besides other formalities.
In case of the talks with the BLT, it was handled at the official level with an official of the level of Special Secretary chairing the meetings, which were also joined by Assam Government officials.
Sources said that if the ceasefire with the NDFB materialised then the ground rules would have to be formulated before hand. Assam Government has already decided to put on hold operations against the NDFB following the ceasefire offer, State Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr Bhumidhar Barman told this newspaper. Meanwhile, IGP (Special Branch) Khagen Sarma held meetings with the MHA officials today.
Meanwhile, next round of talks with NSCN(I-M) is slated to get underway from October 20 in Bangkok. The three-day talks would be first after extension of the ceasefire in July and the recent bomb blasts in Dimapur in a big way in the talks, sources said.
The union Government that is going to be represented by chief interlocutor, K Padmanabhiah is likely to renew the invitation to chairman and general secretary, Isaac Chisi Swu and Th. Muivah respectively to visit to India during the Bangkok talks. NSCN(I-M) leaders who last visited India in January 2003 after 36 years were scheduled to visit New Delhi early this year, which was later postponed owing to Lok Sabha polls. The talks during the last round almost got derailed following the commitment of the UPA Government not to disturb the territorial integrity of the North Eastern States.
Meanwhile, Nagaland Chief Minister, N Rio is in town and is scheduled to call on Union Home Minister here tomorrow in connection with the probe report on the Dimapur blast that left at least 40 dead. Talking to newsmen after his meeting with Minister DoNER, KR Kyndiah, the Chief Minister said that the probe report has been submitted and was currently under examination of an expert committee.
Declining to divulge further he said that he would discuss the issue with Patil when he meets him tomorrow. Pressed further he said that the ISI could be behind the blast. It may be noted that Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee has already gone on record holding the agency responsible for the blast in Dimapur.