NSCN-IM sets record straight before next round of talks

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By R Lester Makang

UKHRUL, December 15: Even as speculations began to centre on the next round of talks between the NSCN-IM and the Government of India (GoI) following media reports that the much-awaited peace dialogue to discuss the vexed Naga issue has been slated for December 17, 2013, the Naga outfit has today set the record straight saying no fixed date or time has been worked out as yet.

A highly placed NSCN-IM source said Sunday that until now both the parties have not fixed on any date or time for the formal meetings.

A senior official of the NSCN-IM disclosed that the outfit`s chairman Isak Chishi Swu who is currently in Dimapur will be leaving for New Delhi next Tuesday and he will be accompanied by a few senior functionaries of the outfit but the senior official has dismissed the reports that next round of talks between the outfit and the Centre will take place on the same day, i.e. December 17, 2013.

It has been widely reported in the media that the next round of peace dialogue will be different from those previous ones as both the parties are now geared toward an honourable and peaceful solution to the decades old issue.

Meanwhile, the outfit has confirmed Interlocutor RS Pandey`s decision to enter political fray by abondoning the Union government at this critical stage of the peace process.

Elaborating further on the current scenario, the official said that until and unless a new Interlocutor is appointed, no decision regarding the date or time can be taken.

Mention may be made here that at the invitation of the Centre for formal talks, the collective leadership of the outfit has been in the national capital since the end of November last. But Chairman Isak has recently been to Dimapur to attend his son`s wedding while the outfit`s general secretary Th Muivah is staying put at New Delhi.

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