New Delhi : Peace talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) resumed on Tuesday based on the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015. "Once the ground formalities are finalised, Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the talk process," an MHA official told ETV Bharat who is part of the talks.
The talks resumed three days after NSCN (I-M) "agreed" to resume peace talks with the Centre following a meeting between 11 representatives of the extremist group and the 22-member Core Committee on Naga political issue comprising MPs and MLAs of Nagaland at Chumoukedima near Nagaland's commercial hub Dimapur on Saturday.
The negotiations between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) have been stalled since May. The delegation set to take part in the meeting has reached the national capital and the meeting may take any time in presence of the Centre's current interlocutor AK Mishra.
NSCN-IM appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the Naga issue to its logical conclusion. NCSN-IM also reiterated that Naga Nation Flag is non-negotiable in the name of Naga political solution.
"The stand of the NSCN on FA has been distinctly stated time and again. The decision of the National Assembly on 31st May 2022 and the solemn declaration (resolution) adopted on August 26, 2022 by the Naga National Workers of NSCN from Nagaland State reaffirming "one people one nation" and to stand by the Framework Agreement, is on record. The unifying principle of one people one nation symbolised by the God given Naga Nation Flag is non-negotiable in the name of Naga political solution," the NSCN-IM said.
The outfit further said that 25 years of Indo-Naga political talks and seven years of framework agreement is a long period of endurance and commitment exhibited by Naga people for peaceful settlement of Naga issue.
Also Read--No political talks until AFSPA repealed, says NSCN (IM)
Chairman of the United Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, TR Zeliang had earlier announced that the NSCN-IM has agreed to resume peace talks with the Centre to try to resolve irritants to the Naga peace talks. The NSCN-IM has told the core committee that the outfit would resume peace talks if "it is based on the framework agreement".
The union government has held two separate parleys with the NSCN-IM since 1997 and the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) comprising seven organisations since 2017. The Centre signed a framework agreement with the NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015, and also entered into an agreed position with NNPGs in December 2017. (with Agency inputs)
