NNPG Condemns Push for New Interlocutor as Tactic to Delay Naga Political Settlement

GG News Bureau
Kohima, 18th Sept. The working committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPG) has accused recent calls for a new interlocutor in the Naga peace process of being a deliberate attempt to delay and disrupt the resolution of the longstanding political issue. This criticism follows a resolution adopted at a consultative meeting convened by the state government’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) on September 12.

The NNPG’s working committee, which includes at least seven Naga groups, described the resolution as a premeditated strategy to hinder progress. “The pre-mediated and pre-drafted resolution of the PAC demanding the appointment of a new interlocutor at the political level is nothing but another ploy to intentionally subvert and delay the political solution,” the committee stated on Tuesday.

The committee argues that instead of pushing for a new interlocutor, efforts should be focused on expediting the resolution based on existing agreements. They emphasize that the Naga political dialogue officially concluded on October 31, 2019, and claim that former Interlocutor R.N. Ravi had been fully empowered by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with cabinet status. Following the completion of the interlocution phase, A.K. Mishra has been assigned by the Centre to accelerate the solution, rendering the call for a new interlocutor unnecessary.

The peace process began in 1997 with a ceasefire agreement and saw separate talks with various Naga groups. The Centre signed a Framework Agreement with the NSCN-IM in 2015 and the Agreed Position with the NNPGs in 2017. Despite these developments, the NSCN-IM’s demand for a separate flag and constitution remains unmet, causing ongoing disputes.

The NNPG’s working committee urged all parties to focus on advancing the resolution rather than revisiting past discussions, stressing that the political solution should be implemented based on the concluded talks.