GUWAHATI, April 11 ? The Government of India is going to hold talks with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland faction led by SS Khaplang (NSCN-K), soon as the process is in advanced stage. Talking to The Assam Tribune here this afternoon, the Chief Minister of Nagaland SC Jamir informed that Government of India would hold talks with all Naga groups including NSCN-K and Naga National Council (NNC) in the interest of finding a permanent solution to Naga insurgency problem. He said, ?process of holding talks between Government of India and the NSCN-K was in advanced stage.?
The NSCN-K has been demanding its involvement in the on-going peace process involving Government of India and the NSCN-IM led by Issac Swu and Th Muivah. The NSCN-K had entered into ceasefire with Government of India in April 2001, but is still waiting for a formal dialogue with the Government. The NSCN-K general secretary, Kitovi Jimomi in an interview with this newspaper a few months back warned that lasting peace would never come to Nagaland unless NSCN-K was made a party to the on-going peace process. The Nagaland Chief Minister rued that despite the truce, ?extortion and factional clashes continued to disrupt peace in the hill State.? He, however, said his Government had remained undaunted by the disturbances in carrying out development works in the State. He said Nagaland Government was focusing on a new concept of ?communitisation? for speedy development in the State. As per the plan the Government is handing over sectors like Education, Water Supply, Power Management to village councils to expedite the development process for the benefit of the grassroot villagers.
The Chief Minister will explain about ?communitisation? before Congress president Smt Sonia Gandhi in his presentation in Congress Chief Ministers? conclave beginning here tomorrow. When drawn to his statement that Nagaland Government was ready to withdraw cases pending against NSCN-IM leaders and ?forgive? them in case they intend to come to India to hold talks with Government of India, Sri Jamir said, ?I still stand by my announcement.? In reference to recent reports about willingness shown by NSCN-IM top leaders to come to India for holding dialogue with Government of India, he said that if they had really meant what they said about coming to India it was a welcome sign. When asked whether Nagaland Government has actually initiated any official steps to withdraw cases and warrants issued against NSCN-IM leaders, the Chief Minister said ?The official procedure will take some time, but Government is sticking to what it had stated earlier in this regard.?
The Nagaland Chief Minister today inaugurated a Nagaland Police Rest House at Beltola area in the city at a brief function where he lauded the brave efforts put up Nagaland police personnel in fighting the insurgency problem in Nagaland. Sri Jamir highlighted the need for all the North Eastern States to develop as a ?big family? so that the rest of the country is forced to recognise North East as one unit and takes serious notice of the problems faced by the backward region. Sri Jamir said the ?brotherly? relationship between people of Assam and Nagaland was a historic one and called upon the present leadership of Assam to recognise it. He said people of Assam and Nagaland should not allow their centuries-old relationship to be strained because of actions of some ?political fanatics?. He said boundary dispute between the two States could be well sorted out across the negotiation table.