An interlocutor for peace talks between the union government and NSCN (I-M) will be appointed very soon, a top home ministry official said Sunday.
Former Nagaland chief secretary R.S. Pandey, who was chief negotiator for talks with the Naga rebel group, resigned and joined the BJP. He will contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Bihar’s Valmikinagar.
Pandey was appointed in place of the former Home Secretary K. Padmanabhaiah, who had acted as the interlocutor with the NSCN (I-M) for about a decade.
“The government has not taken a decision as to who will replace Pandey, but the name of the new interlocutor is likely to be announced soon,” said Shambhu Singh, joint secretary (Northeast) in the home ministry.
He, however, refused to elaborate further.
Four names– Lt. Gen. (retd) R.N. Kapur, former Assam Police chief G.M. Srivastava, Ajit Lal, currently chairman of the joint intelligence committee and a former special director of the Intelligence Bureau, and R.N. Ravi, who retired as Intelligence Bureau special director — are doing the rounds.
Spl. Correspondent, New Delhi adds: Of the four, Lt. Gen (retd) R.N. Kapur who had served as IGAR (N) Nagaland, is reputed to have wide contacts with both public and underground factions. Official sources here believe Kapur has the advantage of having had working experience with the region during his tenure as IGAR.