Centre sets up crucial meeting next week

New Delhi: The heat and dust of Jammu and Kashmir have hardly settled and the Modi government is getting engaged with Nagaland affairs and has fast-paced the process for an early solution to the decades-old Naga political problem.
The potent militant group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) is in negotiation with the Centre since 1997 when IK Gujral was the Prime Minister.
For its part, the Modi government inked a ‘framework agreement’ in August 2015. In August this year, the Centre had appointed RN Ravi, an experienced hand in Nagaland matters and negotiator at the parleys with NSCN (IM) as Governor, and reportedly gave him a deadline of three months to works towards an earlier solution. A series of meetings were convened by Ravi in last few days.
On Saturday, some key representatives from the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) also held a “marathon meeting” Ravi.
The Centre has directed the Governor to facilitate a crucial meeting of Naga tribal groups, influential Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and village elders Nagaland Gaon Bura Federation (NGBF) in Kohima on October 18 or 19 to iron out differences, sources said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week took stock of the situation at a high-level meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and NSA Ajit Doval.
The sources said the Governor also called on the prime minister where both the leaders discussed about the developments vis-a-vis Naga peace talks.
The NSCN (IM) is unhappy with ‘efforts’ being made by the Centre to talk to ‘other Naga groups’ for a formal pact. (UNI)