Security clearance given to ga leaders to meet Khaplang

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New Delhi/ Guwahati, Aug 9: A delegation of 16 members from the civil society will meet NSCN-K leader SS Khaplang and, if required, the other factions too and try to persuade them to join the peace talks, galand Chief Minister TR Zeliang said today.

The delegation consists of ga Hoho, the apex body of all the ga community, and one more group.

"They have been given the security clearance by the Union Home Ministry to travel to Myanmar and hold talks with the NSCN-K, which has significant presence in galand. We hope things are successful," he said.

In recent times, NSCN-K chief SS Khaplang has signed a pact with the Myanmar government, paving the way for grant of autonomy to the NSCN-K in Sagaing - a northwestern administrative region of Myanmar.

The agreement also allows NSCN-K members to move urmed across the country and to open a sub-office in the region.

Zeliang said the fil results of the ga Accord are expected by the end of this year.

He said the ga peace pact signed between the government and the NSCN-IM was just the formula to end decades of conflict in the state.

"After meeting Prime Minister rendra Modi, I have come to know that the ga accord is just the formula to settle the ga conflict. It is just the beginning of the solution," Zeliang told reporters.

He said that after a lot of efforts the government and the tiol Socialist Council of galand-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) had understood each other's problems.

So there was a need to solve the issue permanently, which would be possible only if there was no "political influence".

"I am happy that the prime minister is resolute in resolving the ga conflict. It is important that the settlement made is keeping in mind the ga cultural system and based on their unique history. It is important that there is no political influence in the entire issue," he said.

He also said that allegations by galand's neighbouring states that they were not consulted over the ga accord were false and they were all aware of it.

"There is a difference between active participation and consultation. Consultation with the northeastern states was very much there before signing the ga accord," he said.

Zeliang will meet the ga peace talks interlocuter R.N. Ravi on August 16.

On August 3, the NSCN-IM and the central government signed an accord, after almost 20 years of negotiation. IANS