In a first, Nagaland to host peace talks today

GUWAHATI:The Centre — after extending the Naga peace talks beyond the National Socialist Council of

Nagaland

(Isak-Muivah) and bringing on board all Naga outfits, barring NSCN (Khaplang) — will for the first time hold discussions in Nagaland on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s envoy RN Ravi, who has been holding talks with NSCN (I-M), will meet the working group of six new entrant Naga groups in Dimapur.

The first few rounds of Naga talks that started in 1997 with the signing of the ceasefire with NSCN (I-M) were held on foreign soil — including Thailand and the Netherlands. NSCN (I-M) leaders — late chairman Isak Chisi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah — started their first round of talks in India in 2002 in New Delhi and since then, there have been about 80 rounds of talks.

The people of Nagaland have planned a grand reception for Ravi when he arrives. “This is our thanksgiving in appreciation of the Centre graciously responding to the popular demand of the people to officially invite the Naga National Political Groups (

NNPG

) Working Committee (the six new groups) for a political dialogue to bring out a lasting solution to the protracted Naga political problem and for holding the talks for the first time in Nagaland,” convener of the public reception committee Theja Therieh told TOI. The reception committee asked people to gather at the Dimapur airport for a grand public reception and appealed to all village councils along NH-29 to mobilize its members and receive the PM’s envoy.

The six new entrants which have formed the NNPG include GPRN/NSCN (Kitovi Zhimomi), Naga Nationalist Council (NNC), Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN), NSCN (Reformation), National People’s Government of Nagaland (Non-Accord) and NNC/GDRN/NA (Government Democratic Republic of Nagaland (Non-Accord), with whom Ravi has held the first round in New Delhi on September 27.

The Centre signed a ‘Framework Agreement’ with the NSCN (I-M) in 2015, based on which the final agreement is being worked out.