Disclosing that ministry of home affairs has also taken a conscious decision, not to accept demand of a separate state or territory for a particular ethnic group, security sources told this newspaper that the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) leaders have also been apprised about the stand of the new government.
Pointing out that the previous governments were responsible for raising the hope of NSCN (I-M) leaders on their demands for unification of Naga-inhabited areas of the northeastern states, security sources said that in order to drag the peace process, the Naga leadership was told that states were opposing unification of Naga-inhabited areas so that the government was not in a position to accede to their demands. However, the Naga leadership was never told the fact that India has a plural society, a society combining ethnic contrasts and creating a state for a particular ethnic group is not only against the spirit of the Indian Constitution but also gives birth to discontentment.
Informing that newly-appointed interlocutor of the government R.N. Ravi has briefed the limitation of the government to the Naga leadership, security sources said that there were several rounds of discussions with the NSCN(I-M) leadership and attempts have been to draw a “laxman rekha” for the negotiation.
Security sources said that NSCN (I-M) has been asked to take a practical approach, security sources said that there have been attempt to convince the Naga leadership also about the factual position of the government. Clarifying that government was not going to impose or force anything on NSCN (I-M), security sources said that in the new format of peace-talks with the NSCN (I-M) both the government and Naga leadership have been trying to thrash out differences on key issues through discussion across the table.
Referring the instances of at least 24 autonomous councils created in Assam for different ethnic groups, security sources said that designating any area or state for any particular ethnic group amount to disfranchising the other ethnic groups living in that particular territorial boundary.
Security sources however admitted that peace-process with NSCN ((I-M) has started but no time frame was decided yet to find solutions. The NSCN (I-M) signed a ceasefire with the Centre in 1997 and since then, over 70 rounds of talks have been conducted in India and abroad.