Print this article

A decade on, govt names new official for Naga talks

Last updated on: February 11, 2010 18:53 IST

Former petroleum secretary R S Pandey has been appointed as the new interlocutor for Naga talks and carry forward the peace process with insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah).

'I am happy to announce the appointment of R S Pandey as the interlocutor and the representative of the government of India to hold talks with NSCN-IM,' Home Minister P Chidambaram said in a statement.

Pandey has been appointed in place of former home secretary K Padmanabhaiah, who as an interlocutor handled for almost a decade the dialogue process with NSCN-IM.

Last September, the government relieved Padmanabhaiah from the responsibility.

Chidambaram also welcomed the decision of the NSCN-IM leadership to visit India and hold talks with the government.

On Tuesday, the Centre announced that it would hold dialogue with NSCN-IM's top leadership in the first week of April, giving a fresh impetus to the Naga peace process.

The Naga militant group's chairman Isak Chishi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, who are currently based abroad, are expected to participate in the dialogue.