Naga talks: Padmanabhaiah replaces Kaushal

NEW DELHI, July 21: In a new twist to the ongoing stalemate over the Naga peace talks, the Union government on Wednesday sacked the Centre's chief interlocutor, Swaraj Kaushal, and appointed former Union home secretary, Padmanabhaiah, in his place. The former Union home secretary who is also the officer on special duty in-charge for Nagaland joined his new assignment on Wednesday itself, highly placed official sources confirmed. Contrary to belief, Swaraj Kaushal was not given the marching orders for the manner in which he handled the peace talks but he is believed to have fallen victim to political developments in neighbouring Haryana which he represented in the Upper House. The word is that Kaushal who is a Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) nominee fell from the grace of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government after he severed ties with Bansi Lal government early this month. The former Mizoram Governor and his wife and former Union minister Sushma Swaraj were too closely identified with the HVP for BJP's comfort. Sources revealed that late on Monday night the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee convened a meeting attended by the Union home minister LK Advani, defence minister George Fernandes, and top government officials where Naga peace talk process was 'reviewed' and a decision taken to replace Swaraj Kaushal as the Union government's chief negotiator. Padmanabhaiah has been given the status of cabinet secretary and is expected to take on from where Swaraj left off. The issue that now required immediate attention of the government is extension of the ceasefire that expires on July 31, and the venue of the next round of talks between the government and the NSCN (I-M) leadership, sources said. According to sources, Padmanabhaiah on joining his new assignment reviewed the progress made so far with ministry of home affairs) officials and intelligence agencies. Sources here said the former home secretary is yet to establish contact with the Naga leaders though an official intimation is being sent. Sources also confirmed that there is no immediate plans to fly down Padmanabhaiah to abroad to formally meet the chairman and general secretary of NSCN, T Muivah and Isak Chishi Swu. Lately, the sharp differences of opinion between the Naga leaders and Union government had cropped up over the venue of next rounds of talks, with the Central government insisting that it be held in India. Kaushal had in fact flown down to Nagaland in June to talk with the NSCN leadership during their trip to the state to sort out the issue but the NSCN were adamant that negotiations be held in a third country. About the extension of the ceasefire, the two sides have broadly agreed not to opposed it and in all probability will be extended by another year, sources indicated. Swaraj Kaushal was appointed as the chief interlocutor by the BJP government soon after it came to power in 1998 to give the process a push. Kaushal who is well versed with the insurgency scenario in the Northeast partly because of handling of the Mizo talks that ultimately culminated in signing of the Mizo Accord that saw the then outlawed Mizo National Front joining the mainstream. Kaushal had held several rounds of negotiations, all of them abroad with the NSCN leadership and was in the process of sorting differences over the venue of the next round of talks when he was shown the door.