Central Interlocutor for Naga talks Ravi arrives at Dimapur

Kohima, Oct 24: Nagas, from various tribes dressed in their traditional attire accorded a warm civic reception to the central Interlocutor for Naga talks RN Ravi, who arrived at Dimapur yesterday to hold talks with the Naga National Political Group’s Working Committee (WC). The programme was jointly organized by the Nagaland based civil society organizations at Dimapur Airport, where representatives of various tribes and civil organizations presented gifts and tokens of goodwill to Ravi, expressing their solidarity towards the ongoing Naga political talks. Later, a facilitation of political negotiation between the Union Government and NNPGs working committee was held at Rhododendron Hall of the Police Complex at Chumukedima near Dimapur. During the programme, Ravi said the protracted Naga political problem belonged to the Nagas and that all the stakeholders should be taken on board in order to let the solution come to an inclusive, acceptable and honourable conclusion. Recalling his appointment as the interlocutor after the BJP-led NDA formed the government in 2014, Ravi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had entrusted him with a huge task and for which he sought the full cooperation of the Nagas. He said, “When Mr Modi took over, he told me, this unresolved problem (Indo-Naga issue) is such a long standing problem and it is an embarrassment for a country like India that it has not found a solution for this long. Do your best and negotiate in such a way which will be a win for the Nagas in the best possible manner.” He added that the issue is such that it was not like a situation where the Nagas win and India loses, but one where both the parties come out victorious. And in that spirit, Ravi continued, ' we started the talks and I requested the PM to give me full freedom to carry forward the talks in the way I felt necessary and according to my judgments in consultation with him. Modiji gave his consent and also assured full support in the process that would ensue,' he said. Ravi said the first major change he made in the peace talks was to bring out the Naga peace process from Home Ministry and put it under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) since the issue was magnanimous in nature with so many issues and ministries involved which was too tedious a task for a single ministry to handle. Besides, he added, things move faster in the PMO which was one important aspect for the issue as it needed to be resolved at the earliest. Ravi said “Naga political issue belongs to the Naga people and so Naga people must be onboard and we also understood that Naga issue cannot be fragmented and that we cannot have too many agreements or solutions. And therefore we decided that there will be one peace process and one agreement which will be comprehensive and inclusive. Some people liked that decision while some did not but our position was very clear," he reiterated. UNI