New Delhi, October 19
On the eve of another round of talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) in Bangkok, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today offered his services as a “facilitator” in the negotiations with the Naga group to ensure speedy restoration of peace in the state.
Mr Rio, who had a 50-minute meeting with Home Minister Shivraj Patil here, told mediapersons that state leaders, including himself, were prepared to act as “facilitators”.
State leaders should be involved in the talks so that peace and normalcy returned early in the state, he insisted.
“Talks should move faster and we want a settlement early. How long can we go on talking. There must be some solution,” Mr Rio said stressing that things were moving fast but required to move faster.
The next round of talks between the Centre and the NSCN(IM) to carry forward the seven-year-old peace process will be held in Bangkok from tomorrow, official sources said.
The three-day negotiations between the two sides in the Thai capital will be the second round of talks after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance came to power in May.
During the last round of talks in Chiang Mai, also in Thailand, in July, the ceasefire between the two sides was extended for another year from
August one.
The talks assume significance in the light of the twin blasts in Dimapur on October 2 in which 40 persons were killed.
The NSCN (IM) has denied involvement in the blasts and instead announced a reward for anyone who could give any clue into the
incident.
The sources said the issue of the visit to India by the NSCN (IM) leadership would also figure during the Bangkok talks. NSCN (IM) Chairman Isak Chisi Swu and General Secretary T. Muivah last visited India in January 2003, after 36 years for talks with the Central leadership.
They were scheduled to visit New Delhi early this year which was later postponed owing to the Lok Sabha polls.
On the recent bomb blasts in Nagaland, Mr Rio said involvement of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan cannot be ruled out even as he pointed out that it would not be proper to pinpoint or blame anybody at this juncture.
