Source: The Sangai Express
New Delhi, February 10:
Seeking to break the ice and take forward the peace process in Nagaland, the Centre and major insurgent group NSCN (I-M) today held four hours of talks.
"Today�s talks lasted a total of about four hours.
It was more of an ice-breaking session.
The Naga leaders explained their stand," informed sources said.
Today, much of the talking was done by NSCN (I-M) leaders headed by its general secretary Th Muivah.
"The talks between the Government and the NSCN (I-M) will continue," the sources said.
NSCN (I-M) chairman Isaac Chisi Swu was not present at today�s meeting where the Centre was represented by a Group of Ministers comprising Oscar Fernandes, Prithviraj Chavan and S Ragupathy.
The NSCN (I-M) leader had held a half-an-hour meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday.
Muivah along with Swu returned from Nagaland last month after a nearly seven-week stay there eliciting the views of a cross section of the people of the state on how to resolve the Naga problem.
The Naga leaders, who met Home Minister Shivraj Patil last week, have been demanding unification of Naga-dominated areas in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, a move opposed by these states.
This demand saw bloody clashes between Naga and Kuki tribes in 1990s and had triggered fresh round of unrest in Manipur three years back.
Swu and Muivah, who came to India for the second time in November-end last year, had met the Prime Minister before going to Nagaland.
They had come to India for the first time in three decades in January, 2003 and held talks with the Vajpayee Government.