Nagaland government to hold consultative meetings to resolve long-standing political issue

The Nagaland government is set to prioritize the resolution of the long-standing Naga political issue through a series of public consultative meetings, as announced today. The state’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC), led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, convened on August 28 to address the ongoing conflict and has decided to engage with apex tribal bodies and civil society organizations.

Minister and government spokesperson K.G. Kenye confirmed the development, stating, “Resolution of the Naga issue is the top agenda of the state government. We will soon hold meetings with all stakeholders to deliberate on the way forward for an early solution.”

The Naga political issue has been a contentious subject for decades, with a ceasefire agreement between the Government of India and Naga political groups established in 1997. Since then, numerous rounds of talks have taken place. In 2015, the Centre signed a Framework Agreement with the NSCN-IM, and in 2017, the Agreed Position was reached with the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC NNPGs).

Despite these agreements, the talks have been stalled due to unresolved demands, including the NSCN-IM's call for a separate flag and constitution for the Nagas. In October 2019, the then Centre’s Interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks and Governor of Nagaland, R.N. Ravi, declared the talks concluded, but the issues remain unresolved.