In a breakthrough in the Naga peace process, leaders of National Socialist Council of Nagalim (I-M) T Muivah and Isak Swu have voiced their desire to come to India for further talks even as Government today announced extension of the ceasefire with the militant outfit for another year from August 1, reports PTI. The decision to come to India for the first time since the 1997 Centre-NSCN(I-M) ceasefire was taken by the outfit?s leaders during three-day talks with Prime Minister?s special emissary K Padmanabhaiah in Amsterdam which concluded yesterday. The invitation for the dialogue to be held in India was extended by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to the NSCN(I-M) leadership through Padmanabhaiah.
?The chairman and the general secretary of NSCN (Swu and Muivah), having accepted an invitation of the Government of India, have expressed willingness to come to India, after the procedural aspects with regard to their visit have been taken care of, for further talks and to carry forward the peace dialogue,? a Home Ministry spokesman here said.
Our Staff Correspondent adds: According to sources, the Naga leadership are insisting on withdrawal of the arrest warrants, the ban on the outfit and withdrawal of the Central acts like Armed Forces Special Powers Act. The Centre, it may be mentioned has already initiated steps to meet some of the pre-conditions like withdrawal of warrants. The NSCN(I-M) incidently has not been banned under the new POTA. The political dialogue between the two sides have also entered a crucial phase, where the Centre is considering the list of demands submitted by the NSCN(I-M) for resolution of the Naga problem. The two sides, it may be recalled, last July agreed to a time-frame of two years to resolve the Naga problem.
However, the tricky part for the Union Government would be to bring all the warring factions to the same table. A tough call given the differences among the various outfits. Then the issue of greater Nagaland or Nagalim as demanded by the NSCN(I-M) is yet to be finally resolved. The Centre has however made it clear that it was not going to disturb the territorial integrity of the neighbouring States in the region, having burnt its fingers once. A strategy adopted by the Centre is to somehow involve the NSCN(I-M) in the democratic process like encouraging them to participate in elections. A core point from the Centre?s point of view is the continued involvement of the NSCN(I-M) cadres in extortions, kidnappings and training of other militant groups in the region.