NEW DELHI, March 20 ? In a significant boost to the ongoing Naga peace process, the NSCN(I-M) accepting an invitation of the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee has agreed to hold talks in India. The offer was extended by Sri Vajpayee to the NSCN(I-M) leadership in Osaka in February but a formal consent was conveyed to Government of India at the last round of talks held in Kuala Lumpur though its interlocutor, K Padmanabhaiah sources said. The willingness on part of the NSCN(I-M) leadership to travel to India for negotiations has been well received at the Centre and it fits into its overall aim of involving the NSCN(I-M) leadership in the political process. The two sides, it may be recalled here has set a time-frame of two years to resolve the Naga problem.
With political dialogue between the Government of India and NSCN(I-M) having gathered momentum, the Government hopes to resolve the contentious issues including the demand for creation of greater Nagaland. The Centre has already rejected the demand for extension of the ceasefire beyond Nagaland, assuring States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya that their territorial integrity would not be disturbed.
Meanwhile, Naga International Support Centre (NISC), a Naga outfit owing allegiance to NSCN(I-M) has clarified that NSCN(I-M) has set three pre-conditions, including withdrawal of ban on the outfit, rescinding of the warrants of arrests pending against its leaders and repeal of the Armed Forces Special Power Act. NSCN leaders agreed to have talks in India if the Government pave the way to make this possible. The NSCN leaders accepted the invitation as a sign of good gesture for meaningful peace talks in India if the Government of India would be prepared to meet the three conditions, NISC in a release said.
NISC calls on both the Government of India and the responsible leaders of the NSCN to avoid further bloodshed and therefore to hold fruitful peace talks in either India itself or beyond, to seriously enter the phase of paving the way for full recognition of each other?s history and aspirations. NISC has further reiterated demand ?for expansion of the ceasefire monitoring group with both credible NGO?s and neutral independent authorities national and international observers so violations claimed by both sides can be properly investigated and reported.?