KOHIMA: The Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) have resumed formal negotiations on the age-old Naga political problem. This comes as a big development towards ending one of India's longest insurgencies.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials, including A.K. Mishra, Advisor to the North East, met with NSCN-IM leaders in Dimapur on Friday. The talks involved General Secretary and chief negotiator Thuingaleng Muivah, reiterating the resolve to solve through talks.
This comes after a different meeting Mishra had with the Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) on Thursday. The NNPGs, an alliance of seven Naga groups, had in 2017 signed an "Agreed Position" with the government, which formed the basis of a larger peace framework.
The last official negotiations between the Indian government and the NSCN-IM occurred in October 2022. Since then, the talks have been at a standstill, mostly because of differences in key demands. Recent pronouncements from the NSCN-IM, though, emphasized respect for each other, saying that respecting Naga history would be paid back tenfold.
In the 46th raising day celebration of NSCN-IM, leaders remembered two fundamental historical events: the 2002 Amsterdam meeting, during which initial discussions regarding sovereignty took place, and the 2015 New Delhi Framework Agreement signed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These have been the focal points of the political positions of the NSCN-IM and their territorial demands in the peace parleys.
The NSCN-IM has been engaged in talks with the Indian government since the 1997 ceasefire accord. The 2015 Framework Agreement was considered a breakthrough, although there are still several issues pending resolution. Parallel talks with the NNPGs were initiated in 2017, adding another dimension to the ongoing peace process.
Major points of contention in the talks are the NSCN-IM's insistence on a Naga flag and constitution and the integration of all the Naga regions in various northeast states and Myanmar.
ALSO READ:
ALSO WATCH: