Our Correspondent
Suruhoto Designated Camp | November 13
Maintaining that Naga political solution is in the hands of the NSCN (K), top leaders of the group Monday announced that the NSCN (K) may soon begin dialogue with the Government of India, disclosing that it has received verbal invitation from the Union Home Ministry.
A formal official invitation is expected from the home ministry by January next year to start negotiations across the table to hammer out a solution to the Naga political issue, the NSCN (K)’s top military commander Lt. Gen. Niki Sumi and Chaplee (Finance) kilonser Hokato Vusshe told newsmen on the sidelines of a unique medical camp conducted by the Nagaland branch of the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) Monday.
According to Vusshe, a delegation from the group met Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde last month wherein he invited the group to start dialogue towards settlement of the Naga issue and assured to send a written official invitation within a space of two months. The written invitation is expected by January next year, he said adding the NSCN (K) will be holding a cabinet meeting shortly to discuss the issue.
The two leaders assured that in the event it decides to start dialogue with the Government of India, the NSCN (K) will first seek opinions and suggestions of the Naga people as they would be talking negotiating with India on behalf of the Naga nation.
Also, maintaining that Nagas’ unique history and historical rights guarantee us sovereignty and independence, the leaders said the 1951 Plebiscite has clearly spelled out our desires and based on that, it will try to bring about a solution. “Sovereignty is our political right, and Nagas stand on that”, Gen. Niki said.
Asked on the possibility of Chairman S.S Khaplang’s participation in the event of a dialogue, the leaders said this would depend entirely on the sincerity of the Government of India. Asked to comment on the ongoing rumors of an imminent solution to the Naga issue out of the talks between the NSCN (IM) and the Indian government, the leaders said presently the NSCN (K) neither supports the ongoing dialogue between nor is opposing it, stressing that if the solution is acceptable to the Nagas, it will join it wholeheartedly.
The NSCN leaders also expressed doubts about the sincerity and commitment of both the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) and the Joint Legislators’ Forum (JLF). On the JLF, they questioned as to whether it is offering to quit just to gain political mileage out of the issue while on the FNR, they accused the forum of “taking everything into their hands”.
