Correspondent
KOHIMA, AUG 4 (NPN): Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Nagaland government Tuesday reaffirmed its demand for the appointment of a ministerial-level interlocutor by the Centre to take the Naga peace talks to their logical conclusion and resolved to engage all stakeholders to evolve a roadmap for resolving the protracted Naga political issue.
Briefing reporters after the PAC meeting held at the CM’s Residential Complex, minister for Power, Parliamentary Affairs and government spokesperson K.G. Kenye said the meeting, attended by 28 committee members, was held after a considerable gap.
Clarifying reports in a section of the media, Kenye said representatives of political parties had not been invited to the meeting. He said the latest notification constituting the PAC was issued on July 31 and Tuesday’s meeting was confined to committee members. He said the PAC reviewed its earlier deliberations, including meetings held on September 12, 2024, and in September 2025 at Rhododendron, Dimapur, and unanimously resolved to maintain the stand adopted earlier. The committee also reviewed developments over the past 24 months and decided to work out ways to engage various stakeholders before laying out a concrete roadmap for pursuing a solution to the Naga political issue.
Kenye said the PAC had reiterated its earlier demand for a ministerial-level interlocutor, maintaining that such an appointment was essential for the peace process to reach its logical conclusion. He said the negotiating parties lacked confidence unless the interlocutor was at the ministerial level, while the state government believed such an appointment would ensure its concerns were effectively conveyed to the Centre. He added that the Centre had earlier assured the state government that it would consider the demand.
On engaging political groups, Kenye said the committee would first prepare the groundwork before reaching out, stressing that the issue involved not only political organisations but every Naga.
He appealed to all stakeholders to avoid allegations and counter-allegations, saying the blame game would not help the peace process, and urged everyone to focus on what would best serve the interests of the Naga people in both the immediate and long-term future.
Responding to a query on the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation’s demand for legislative powers before August 15, Kenye said the PAC did not discuss the issue as the meeting was confined to the Naga political issue. Speaking on behalf of the government, however, he appealed to organisations not to rush matters, saying the state was at the threshold of something positive. Noting that Nagas had remained patient for decades, he urged people to exercise a little more patience and expressed hope that an amicable solution beneficial to all would emerge in the coming weeks or months.
On reports of the formation of a new eastern faction linked to the NSCN (I-M), Kenye said the government was monitoring the situation but would refrain from commenting until the facts and ground realities were verified, adding that such developments were largely beyond the state’s direct domain.
Referring to the recent NSCN (I-M) statement reaffirming its commitment to the Framework Agreement on the 10th anniversary of its signing, Kenye said the government had taken note of it, observing that it was natural for the group, being a signatory to the agreement, to maintain that position.