Thaindian News

New Delhi, Mar 2 (ANI): Rebel Naga leaders, who are seeking sovereignty for a ‘Greater Nagaland’ met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.

As per reports the issue of sovereignty was not discussed in the meeting today.

The banned National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) - Isak Muivah faction chairman Isak Chisi Swu along with its General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah arrived here for talks with the Central Government in a bid to take the vexed Naga peace process forward.

Isak and Muivah will hold talks with the Government’s newly appointed man R. S. Pandey.

Pandey has replaced former Home Secretary K. Padmanabhaiah, who held talks with the Naga insurgent leadership for over nine years.

Isak and Muivah, who are now based in Amsterdam, have come to India after nearly three years.

Muivah has set the tone for the talks by saying the rebel outfit will not withdraw its demand for sovereignty for a Greater Nagaland. Union Home Secretary G K Pillai told newsmen in Dimapur on Saturday, “Muivah accepted the invitation from the Government of India communicated through the new Interlocutor R S Pandey to resume the peace dialogue.”

Ahead of meetings with political leadership, the Naga leaders will hold talks with Pandey on March two and three, they said. The two leaders were also expected to visit Nagaland besides addressing the issue of clashes between the cadres of NSCN-IM and its rival NSCN (Khaplang), which led to unrest in the recent past.

Government sources said they would try and iron out differences with the NSCN-IM, which has proposed a federal relationship in the Indian Union. (ANI)