Centre likely to appoint a Minister of State for Home Affairs to fast-track Naga peace talks

Imphal: The Centre is likely to appoint a Minister of State for Home Affairs to fast-track Naga peace talks.

A senior Nagaland government official said that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio led a high-level official delegation to New Delhi earlier this week and held separate meetings with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, among other Union leaders.

During the meeting with the Union Home Minister, Nagaland MPs Supongmeren Jamir (Lok Sabha) and Phangnon Konyak (Rajya Sabha) also participated as members of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) Sub-Committee.


The official said that in the Chief Minister discussed various aspects of the Naga peace talks during his meeting with Shah.

“The Chief Minister reiterated the need to restore talks at the highest political level."

He added Union Home Minister responded positively to the suggestion.

Currently, A.K. Mishra, Adviser to the MHA on Northeast Affairs, is holding talks on behalf of the Centre with various Naga groups, including the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM).

Centre and NSCN-IM are holding peace parleys. There is a stalemate between the government of India and NSCN-IM over the contentious issue of separate flag and constitution. NSCN-IM has been demanding a separate flag and Constitution which the government of India had rejected.