VS Atem not optimistic of talks
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Dimapur, June 19 2011:
The NSCN-IM is far from an upbeat mood on the forthcoming talks to be held with the Government of India.
"I don't think the Government of India is going to come with a positive frame," rues VS Atem, the former 'chief of the army staff' of the NSCN-IM's armed wing in the nineties.
The Government of India and the NSCN-IM will commence their 'formal' talks on Tuesday in New Delhi.
Talking to Newmai News Network this evening over phone, VS Atem was not optimistic about the outcome of the talks and said, "Informal talks have been going on for the last few days in New Delhi but you know the Government of India, I don't think, will come with a positive frame" .
VS Atem at present holds the post of convenor of the outfit's Steering Committee which is the highest decision making body of the NSCN-IM.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that leaders of NSCN-IM from Nagaland have been camping in New Delhi in the last few days to participate in the June 21 talks.
There have been nearly seventy rounds of talks between the NSCN-IM and New Delhi but no concrete outcome has been witnessed.
In recent years, instead of the talks with New Delhi, the conclaves of reconciliation among the various Naga underground organisations have been in the news headlines.
The reconciliation programmes initiated by Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) has been responsible for decreasing the cases of violence in Naga areas in the last three years.