Pitching on the progress of the talks between the centre and the NSCN (I-M), the union home secretary, G.K Pillai has said that the government of India was hopeful of a solution to the over 60-year old Naga political issue by year end.
For this, Pillai said that the people of Nagaland should also do a lot of homework. Talking to NEPS at Delhi, Pillai expressed happiness on the substantial progress made in the talks between the two entities and reminded of NSCN (I-M) general secretary Th. Muivah\u2019s statement on the progress made in the talks. On Muivah\u2019s return to Delhi, the discussions resumed with Centre\u2019s interlocutor R.S Pandey. \u201cWe have confidence in them and are happy with the progress,\u201d the home secretary said.
Asked about any time frame for solution to the Naga issue, Pillai said, \u201cWe are negotiating with the NSCN (I-M) and can\u2019t say details of it.\u201d He said realization of a solution depended much on the negotiations between the Centre the NSCN (I-M). Pillai also said that the neighbouring states of Nagaland would be consulted before entering into any final settlement to the Naga issue. \u201cEverybody wants solution not only in Nagaland,\u201d he said stressing that the basic aim was to strike a harmony and bring honorable settlement to the issue.
On the role of the DAN government as a facilitator to the peace process and remaining neutral, the home secretary said the DAN could do much more adding, \u201cI think they should (State government) involve in the process.\u201d
Asked when the Centre would start talks with the NSCN (K) which had also entered into ceasefire with the government of India since 2001, Pillai said the centre was waiting for the right opportunity and begin talks at the right time.
Pillai lamented on the recent spurt of factional violence claiming lives from the two NSCN factions. He pointed out that factional clashes came down to \u201czero\u201d during the last two years but that the \u2018ghost\u2019 of factional clashes resurfaced during the past few months, claiming lives from both sides. He, however, hoped that better sense would prevail soon. Pillai said that any difference should be resolved through dialogue and not through violence. On ENPO\u2019s demand for separate \u201cFrontier Nagaland,\u201d the home secretary said, \u201cThis is rather for the people of Nagaland to have a discussion and not anything with the government of India to do so.\u201d
Pillai said that the government of India had received a memorandum from the ENPO demanding separate statehood as \u201cFrontier Nagaland\u201d by carving out four districts – Tuensang, Mon, Longleng and Kiphire.
He disclosed that the centre has already sent the matter to the Nagaland government and awaiting response from the latter. The ENPO had cited discrimination as its main point for demanding separate statehood. If such issue was there, Pillai said, the state government should solve it with the people of the region.
Unlike Pillai, the centre\u2019s interlocutor for talks with the NSCN (I-M), R.S Pandey, IAS (retd) refused to give any time frame for the final solution to the Naga political issue but expressed hope that solution would be arrived at sooner than later. Talking to NEPS at his Delhi residence on Sunday, Pandey cautiously said on the time frame, \u201cTime will come when I will talk (about time bound). Let us do the work first.\u201d
Asked as to why he was not talking anything concrete even when both the government of India and the NSCN (I-M) has said that talks were progressing and were positive, Pandey said it was true that progress have been made and that both sides were sincere and wanted solution but added \u201cnothing is final till everything is final.\u201d
Pressed further to elaborate, the former Nagaland chief secretary, 1972 IAS batch of Nagaland Cadre, replied in Nagamese as translated here, \u201cI shall share my opinion with you as to what is the position of the progress in this regard. It is like a journey from Dimapur to Kohima. We all are ready to leave from Dimapur. We however do not know what would happen on the way to Kohima because it is monsoon season. There may be landslides. But we shall try to reach Kohima by clearing those small roadblocks. If we can\u2019t due to heavy roadblocks, we shall try to make bypasses to reach Kohima. Yet it is difficult to say precisely when we shall reach Kohima.\u201d
It may be mentioned that the former Nagaland chief secretary was appointed as Center\u2019s Interlocutor for talks with NSCN (I-M). His status is that of the cabinet secretary to the government of India. The Centre has full confidence in him that solution to the longstanding Naga issue would be found as early as possible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"