The peace process in Nagaland at last took a step forward last week when two prominent underground Naga leaders agreed to negotiate with the central government in New Delhi. Th. Muivah and Issac Chisi Swu, leaders of the dominant faction National Socialist Council of Nagalim, the NSCN(I-M), have agreed to come back to the country (they have been living in exile for the past 37 years) in mid-December. The decision comes in the wake of the Centre lifting the ban on the NSCN.
As per one of the conditions laid down by the Naga leaders, PM Atal Behari Vajpayee and deputy PM L.K. Advani will be directly involved in the talks. The decision to hold the talks in Delhi was taken at a meeting that the government’s special emissary, former home secretary K. Padmanabhaiah, had with Muivah in Italy earlier this week.