Source: The Sangai Express
Bangkok, October 20 (PTI):
Hoping to take the ongoing peace process forward, Indian Government and Naga outfit NSCN (IM) will discuss some key outstanding issues during a crucial round of talks beginning here tomorrow.
Indian delegation to the talks would be headed by the Centre�s interlocutor K Padmanabaiah while Naga leader T Muivah will lead the NSCN (IM) side.
"Some Important issues may be touched at the meeting, expected to last two days," a senior member of the NSCN (IM) based here told PTI.
He said Muivah is already in the Thai capital for the talks.
"We are to go to India for the next round of talks and that will depend on the outcome of this round of talks to begin tomorrow," he said.
The talks now aim at extending a seven-year-old peace process between the Government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) whose leaders live in Thailand and The Hague.
The NSCN wants an independent homeland for three million Naga hill people in its plan for a greater Nagaland carved out of Naga dominated areas in Nagaland, as well as neighbouring Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
India has not agreed to this plan.
A truce between the NSCN and New Delhi was agreed in 1997.It has held and been extended on several occasions.
After extension of the ceasefire for another year in August last following discussions in July, both sides were meeting once again to carry forward the dialogue process amidst Centre�s assertion that Naga leaders should come to India for political talks.
Among others, contentious issue of integrating Naga inhabited areas might dominate the parleys against the backdrop of Naga NGOs� sustained campaign for bringing such areas under a single administrative set up.