NE truce extension under consideration

KOHIMA, February 25: The Centre was actively considering Nagaland government's proposal to declare ceasefire with three other underground groups and a suggestion to extend the ceasefire to other areas in the Northeast, Union Home Minister L K Advani said today, reports PTI. Talking to newsmen here before leaving for New Delhi, Advani said 'so far there is a ceasefire agreement with one group - NSCN(IM) - but the Centre is actively considering a proposal to bring other groups under the purview of the truce.' Highly-placed sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs said today that the government will soon enter into a formal ceasefire agreement with National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) and the two factions of Nagaland National Council (Federal). A final announcement in this regard would be made in Parliament during the ongoing Budget session, the sources said here. The government has a three-year-old ceasefire with NSCN (IM) while security forces in Nagaland have announced a unilateral ceasefire for the Khaplang faction. The S C Jamir government in Nagaland has been insisting that all underground groups in Nagaland should be brought under the purview of the current peace process to broaden its scope because no one group/organisation has the mandate to resolve the complex Naga political problem. Earlier, he told a press conference that 'the extension of the ceasefire to other areas in the Northeast is being actively considered by the Home Ministry.' Advani however admitted that even after the existence of the ceasefire for the last three years, progress of political talks with the NSCN(IM) was 'slow'. 'After declaration of ceasefire (with NSCN-IM), lessening of killings is an achievement, but I do not deny the process of political talks is slow' the Home Minister said. The Home Minister reviewed the situation in the State during his discussions with Governor Om Prakash Sharma, council of ministers, government officials and representatives of various NGOs during his two-day visit to the State. The Centre has also adopted a three-pronged strategy to contain military in the Northeast, Advani said. The Home Minister said under the three-pronged strategy, development activities in the region were being given top priority and implementation of development schemes were being monitored by both the Home Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) after announcement of an economic package by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at Shillong conference last year. The Prime Minister in a conference of Governors and Chief Ministers of Northeastern States last year had announced an economic package worth over Rs 10,000 crore for the physical and social infrastructure development of the region. Secondly, the Centre had asked the States to firmly deal with the militants who have been continuously mounting disturbances in the region, the Home Minister said. Thirdly, the militant groups those who want to shun violence and are willing to come to negotiation table, should be welcomed, Advani said. When asked about the government strategy towards flushing out Northeast militants from the neghbouring countries, Advani said necessary assistance and cooperation were being sought from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar in this respect.