In a major development, Government of India’s Interlocutor for Naga peace talks, R.N. Ravi informed Nagaland Post on Friday that he has formally invited the Working Committee (six Naga National Political Groups) to be part of the peace process.
As Centre had been wanting to involve all stakeholders for an inclusive solution, Ravi said this was the reason why he had invited the working committee to be part of the peace process.
Ravi and the Working Committee are scheduled to formally meet on September 27 in New Delhi.
On September 4, Ravi had informed Nagaland Post that he was likely to engage the working committee in the peace process soon.
Ravi reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to finding a permanent solution to Naga political issue to the “best possible satisfaction of the Naga people.”
“The coming together of the six groups under a common platform for solution is an encouraging development,” he said.
“We know that only an inclusive solution can bring enduring peace,” Ravi said, adding he had been in contact with Naga tribal and civil society organisations and eliciting their views. Ravi also reiterated that Centre does not desire to fragment the Naga issue, but wanted to have a “comprehensive solution by taking all the stakeholders on board”.
He also informed that the decades old talks with NSCN (I-M) was in the “advanced stage”. Refusing to comment on speculations that Naga solution would arrive before state assembly elections 2018, Ravi said “conducting elections is the domain of Election Commission of India and I can’t comment on it.”