MK Narayanan admits slow-down in Naga talks

Special Correspondent 
Kohima | February 16

The National Security Advisor (NSA) to the Prime Minister of India M.K Narayanan today disclosed that the peace talks between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) can take forward movement only if the latter agrees to accept a solution within the broad parameters of the Indian Union. Narayanan however pointed out that Delhi was ready to give “broad concessions” to the Nagas once this prerequisite has been met. “We can work out a new arrangement for the Naga people with maximum autonomy and freedom but this must be under the Indian union”, Narayanan said in an exclusive interaction with The Morung Express at Raj Bhavan Kohima.

The NSA to the Prime Minister who arrived in Kohima to review the security situation also admitted that the Indo-Naga peace process has “slowed down” because of this factor and pointed out that the foremost question that needs to be addressed is whether the basis of the current peace parleys is “within the parameter of the Indian constitution”. Narayanan disclosed that the NSCN (IM) leadership is yet to give a clear response on this question. 

In this regard the NSA informed that a sub-committee has been formed for this purpose to study the Indian constitution but it has still not arrived at any conclusion. Narayanan nevertheless assured that the Indian constitution is flexible enough to accommodate broad concessions and that this point had been conveyed to the NSCN (IM) Chief Negotiator Th Muivah. The NSA to the Prime Minister also pointed out that any deal outside the Indian Union cannot be put before the Indian Parliament and therefore the need to renegotiate on some of the core demands to be acceptable to both parties in the peace process. 

New Delhi’s Emissaries, Minister for Planning & Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes and K Padmanabhiah, have reportedly been told to convince the NSCN (IM) that neither the Prime Minister nor the Government of India could accept their present demand and things must be within the “Constitutional framework’. 

Earlier, Narayanan along with a team of officials arrived in Kohima to review the security situation in the North-east in general and Nagaland in particular. Narayanan met Governor K Sankaranarayan, his two advisers, senior civil and police officials and Army commanders during the day.