\nBefore finalising the \u201ccounter proposals\u201d to the charter of demands submitted by NSCN (I-M), the Centre wanted to know the views and opinions of the cross section of Naga society, Pillai told newsmen here.
\nSuggestions would be incorporated in the package to be submitted to the Union Cabinet for approval.
\nThe home secretary, who has been dealing with northeast affairs for a long time in various capacities, clarified that the counter proposals or the political package is \u201cnot conditional\u201d and the Centre is open to holding negotiations on it with the underground groups and Naga civil societies to arrive at a consensus.
\nThe state government, political parties and various Naga NGOs have time and again told the Centre that the permanent settlement to the vexed problem did not lie with a single underground group, he said adding \u201cthe solution must be acceptable to all sections of the Naga society.\u201d
\n\u201cWe do not want a situation where one underground group accepts the package while others reject and the problem continues…One should be clear that it must be a political package since the problem is political and needs consensus,\u201d Pillai said. \u201cThe contemplated package is not something like doling out some funds from the Centre for certain development and economic activities in Naga-inhabited areas. It must be a comprehensive and broad-based proposal acceptable to the Naga people considering the present political realities,\u201d he said. The package should contain greater political and financial autonomy, proper safeguards to cultural, social and customary practices of the Naga people and greater control over their land and its resources. But the moot question was how to concretize these ideas into a political package and work them at ground level, he said. The UPA government at the Centre had launched fresh initiatives for finding an early settlement of the political imbroglio in Nagaland and had decided to directly hold negotiations between the Centre and the NSCN groups, instead of through an interlocutor as 12 years of political negotiations had failed, Pillai said. \u201cThe negotiation process cannot be dragged on through a negotiator without much outcome,\u201d he asserted.
\nPillai said under the present political circumstances in the North-east, the physical integration of Naga inhabited areas was not possible. \u201cBut we can explore possibility of integration of Naga people in the areas of culture, social practices, and customary laws through some mechanism.\u201d
\nAppreciating the positive roles played by Naga civil society groups and Churches in containing violence in Nagaland, he said \u201cduring my discussions with various groups I came across some good suggestions and ideas for possible incorporation in the package.\u201d
\nThere has been a suggestion that the country should offer some kind of financial help to Myanmar for building physical and social infrastructure in its Naga-inhabited areas as they are living in a pathetic condition.
\n\u201cSince the Government of India has been offering help to many poor countries, such an offer can also be made to Myanmar,\u201d Pillai said.
\nPillai meets NGOs<\/p>\n