Imphal, January 05: Welcoming scheduled visit of senior NSCN (I-M) leaders to New Delhi, Nagaland Chief Minister SC Jamir has favored inclusion of all Naga underground groups in the dialogue process with the Centre.

Addressing a public meeting at Khuza in Phek district yesterday, Jamir said "the Congress party shall be a bridge between the Government of India and the Naga people if all factions of the underground outfit unite to bring about a settlement better than the earlier 16-point agreement".

Asserting, the proposed talks between NSCN(I-M) leaders and Prime Minister AB Vajpayee must be based on "substantive issues", the Chief Minister said the settlement should be "honourable" and "acceptable to all" sections of Naga people, cautioning that there should not be another accord like the Shillong Accord of 1975 that might bring about more bloodshed.

NSCN (I-M) chairman Issac Chishi Swu and general secretary Th Muivah are scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on January 8 and hold political talks with the Prime Minister and his Deputy LK Advani the next day.

Jamir, who was one of the signatories of controversial 16-point agreement of 1960 which led to formation of Nagaland State in 1963, urged the people to have patience since "a final solution to the complex political problem cannot be brought about in hurry".

Although Jamir maintained the Congress Government at the Centre under the leadership of Narasimha Rao had initiated the current Naga peace process.

Opposition parties had dubbed the Congress as the "main stumbling bloc" in the peace process.

Janata Dal (United), which held its state-level convention at Dimapur yesterday, welcomed the scheduled peace talks between Government of India and NSCN (I-M) and hoped the dialogue would culminate in a "fruitful result".

Claiming the Congress was a "total failure" in Nagaland, JD (U) national general secretary Arun Kumar said political talks involving Naga underground leaders were not possible during Congress regime because "Congress never accepted peace and it was scared to bring peace in Nagaland".

Quoting from the report sent to the Home Ministry by State Governor Om Prakash Sharma, Nagaland JD(U) president Huska Sumi, who recently joined the national party after resigning from a regional party - Nagaland Peoples Front -alleged that Congress leadership in the State was bent upon "sabotaging" peace process because the Chief Minister's "public posture" and "actual activities" were different in connection with the peace process.