Crucial talks between prime minister Vajpayee's emissary and dominant Naga outfit NSCN(IM) remained inconclusive today after both sides voiced 'substantive' differences on the issue of extending the ceasefire beyond Nagaland.
"The talks remain inconclusive," emissary K. Padmanabhaiah told PTI adding he would discuss the matter further with the joint group led by the prime minister.
"We gave them a draft, and they gave us a draft... We wanted to reconcile both drafts but there are substantive differences and the issue could not be sorted out" during the extended talks today, he said.
Padmanabhaiah said the differences were over the extension of the coverage of ceasefire. He said the government had to address the concerns of other states and allay their fears before taking a decision.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, a home ministry spokesman said in Delhi that "the talks did not not get deadlocked or failed. Talks will continue after further discussions with the higher authorities. The ceasefire holds". NSCN(IM) general secretary T Muivah said they had given their views and they would not change. He said if their views were not accepted by the government then the "consequences will be different."
He said "things will go smooth" if the government decided to accept their demands.
Sources said during the parleys Muivah had threatened to pull out of the four-year-old ceasefire which is scheduled to come up for review before its expiry on July 31.
Advertisement
Muivah, who represented NSCN (IM) faction at the talks, said unless the ceasefire coverage issue was not made clear, "it is meaningless to hold talks."
"NSCN (IM) feels the government has not honoured its promise of extending the ceasefire to all Naga inhabited areas," he said.
Asked if the NSCN was going to honour the ceasefire agreement which expires in July, Muivah said "it is likely to be over, not necessarily immediately"
He said that they could break away from the ceasefire agreement anytime. "If the government forces attack us, we will retaliate, there will be war".
"It is a war imposed on us," he added.
"There are major problems on the coverage issue... There are vast differences and we feel betrayed by India for not honouring its promises," he had told reporters yesterday.
NSCN(k) Favours Involvement Of All Groups
NSCN (Khaplang) has advocated involvement of all Naga groups in talks with the centre for a lasting solution to the decades old Naga problem, saying "there cannot be meaningful dialogue with the centre unless the entire Naga community is under one umbrella."
"This political cause (solution to the naga problem) is for the Nagas and not for any particular organisation, so the involvement of all groups, including the Naga National Council (Federal), is a compulsion", a statement released by the NSCN(K) said here yesterday.
Advertisement
The outfit hoped that NNC (Federal), a pioneer in the Naga political movement, and all Nagas would unanimously ensure a "turning point" in the history of Nagas in this era (of peace process)."
However, it said dialogue with the centre would start only after seeking the people's mandate by holding a "referendum".
"It will start a dialogue with government of india only when the mandate of the nagas is fulfilled", the statement said adding NSCN(K) had not just entered into ceasefire with the centre but was also committed to peaceful settlement of the vexed Naga insurgency issue.
Advertisement
The NSCN (K) had entered into a ceasefire agreement with the centre last month.
Stating that NSCN (K) would not keep Nagas in dark about the political negotiations, the outfit appealed to the people to come forward to jointly prepare the political agenda.
"As the NSCN is not going to leave any stone unturned the involvement of all groups is a must", the statement said
.
