Centre ready to ‘get down to brass tacks' with Nagas

Mahendra Ved / TNN / Dec 20, 2005, 00:51 IST

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The government hopes that the New Year will mark further talks with the Naga rebels.

Centre ready to ‘get down to brass tacks' with Nagas

NEW DELHI: Having exchanged "warm Christmas greetings" in Bangkok last week, the government hopes that the New Year will mark further talks with the Naga rebels that would help both sides come to grips with the specifics of the issues pending for half a century.
Last week's talks with the Naga leaders paved the way for further negotiations, likely to take place by January 15."We think it is time to come to the brass tacks," Oscar Fernandes, Union minister for programme implementation and leader of the ministerial team negotiating with the Naga leaders told TOI.
However, Fernandes will not be attending the next round, which too will be held in Bangkok. Because of his preoccupation, the government may either send MOS in PMO Prithviraj Chavan or MOS home S Reghupathy to lead its team. It is also likely that K Padmanabhaiah, government's interlocutor for the Naga peace process, may be assigned the task.
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But it is clear that the government is preparing for the next round after "warm and cordial" talks held last week with a 15-member team headed by NSCN (Isac-Muivah) general secretary T Muivah. It has given a green signal for extension of the ceasefire that expires on January 31 next year.
The Nagas have proposed some points for action by the government before the pact is extended. Fernandes did not see any hitch to that.

Asked if the government was ready to take up the twin issue of "integration" of Naga-populated areas in North-Eastern states other than Nagaland, for which the chief ministers of these states would need to be consulted, Fernandes said: "We have not reached that stage so far.
"But he was hopeful from the tone and tenor of three sessions at the team level, followed by a one-on-one he had with Muivah, that the January round could lead to this stage.

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