Govt, NSCN(I-M) meet today in bid to seal Naga peace deal

GUWAHATI: Nagaland governor RN Ravi, who is the Centre’s interlocutor, will meet an NSCN (I-M) delegation led by the group’s general secretary TH Muivah in New Delhi on Monday to break the stalemate in the peace negotiations between the two sides.
The meeting assumes significance as it takes place amid reports of the Centre’s possibility of signing a peace agreement with other Naga groups. The dialogue between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M), which began in 1997, has got stuck over the latter’s demands for a separate flag and constitution.
The Centre is likely to offer a middle path, but the outcome of the crucial meeting will decide the fate of the NSCN (I-M), the largest and most powerful of all Naga groups, and its status as the sole stakeholder in the 22-year peace negotiations.
A source said, “The Centre is likely to offer a middle path to the NSCN (I-M) tomorrow (Monday). If everything goes fine, there will be a joint sitting between Ravi and the two other groups on Tuesday itself to set the ground for the final agreement by this month-end.”
On Tuesday, Ravi is scheduled to meet the other block of negotiators — the conglomerate of seven groups known as Naga National Political Groups, which will be led by its convenor N Kitovi Zhimomi. The group has already made it clear that it has resolved all issues with the government and is ready to sign the agreement with the Centre any time.
The last meeting between Ravi and NSCN (I-M) on October 24 to build a consensus on the two demands remained inconclusive, but both agreed to meet for a second time, keeping hopes alive for a smooth conclusion of the peace dialogue. “The government is keen on signing the peace agreement without any delay. The government wants everyone on board,” a source said.
A top NSCN (I-M) leader said, “There is no deadline for a final solution. After talking for 22 years, you just cannot wind it up in a month or two. We are hopeful that the outcome of the meeting would be significant, as both the parties are keen to solve the issue at the earliest.”
While the NSCN (I-M) has been asking for a separate flag and constitution, Ravi had made it clear earlier in Kohima that the government will not agree to these demands.
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References

1. ^{^} Nagaland (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
2. ^{^} general (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
3. ^{^} Kohima (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

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