NSCN (I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah met Union joint secretary (home) in charge of Northeast Naveen Verma and Centre’s interlocutor R.S. Pandey and other officials for over two hours.
“There was no new point raised by the NSCN (I-M),” said a government source after the meeting. An informal round is likely to be held with Pandey again on Friday.
Muivah, who had come here for the talks, also called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, home minister P. Chidambaram and held informal discussions with Pandey.
The Centre has attempted to convince Muivah about the compulsions of the government over the NSCN’s demand for a “special relationship with India” and on the adverse repercussions that could result from integration of the Naga-inhabited areas.
However, the rebel leader, who has stayed away from his native village in Manipur for 40 years, is unconvinced.
While Muivah had mentioned of late that he understood the constraints in a parliamentary democracy, he also iterated that the problem is New Delhi’s and not his.
“The problem is that the leader, however sincere he is, is still adhering to the philosophy that he upheld 40 years ago,” the source said.
While Union home ministry officials were tight-lipped about the deliberations today, they also maintained that the negotiations would continue.
Muivah, in the meantime, also held consultations with other leaders of the outfit.
He also expressed disappointment at not being allowed to visit his ancestral village of Somdal in Manipur’s Ukhrul district.
The NSCN (I-M) general secretary has been on a drive to reach out to the Naga population in Nagaland and give a recap of his outfit’s role over the decades.