Naga rebel leaders say 'No compromise on separate Constitution and flag' : Report

New Delhi: Negotiations with the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) face roadblocks as the rebel leaders are adamant in their main demands for a separate Constitution and flag, reports IANS.

Quoting sources IANS reports that NSCN leaders reportedly said that the rebel group will not give up its demand to have Naga national flag and Constitution, which is the face of the Naga political struggle and identity. The Naga leaders reportedly accused the Union government of using divisive policy and flattery in the name of finding the Naga political solution when the matters heated up, says the report.

When the Union government resumed the peace process in September this year and sent the former special director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) A.K. Mishra as the Ministry of Home Affairs' emissary to the rebel outfit's chief negotiator and general secretary T. Muivah, he assured him (Muivah) that the peace talks would be initiated under the original framework signed in 2015, says the report quoting a source in the Naga rebel group.

"Here we are talking about the Naga national flag and Yehzabo (Constitution), the two issues that are holding up the Naga solution under the ongoing Indo-Naga political talks in Delhi.

"The chequered history of the Indo-Naga political issue is clear enough before us, with accords and agreements that were never meant to be implemented in letter and spirit", IANS quoted an office-bearer of the rebel outfit as saying.

Accusing the Union government, he further added New Delhi of persuading the Naga people again to accept whatever is being offered to hurry up the Naga talks.

At the invitation of the Union government, the senior leaders of the NSCN-IM including T. Muivah arrived in the national capital on October 6 this year to hold another round of talks. Both, the government and the Naga leaders had indicated their keenness on resolving this long pending issue by the end of this year in an amicable manner.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, who is also chairman of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had been actively involved in the resumption of the peace talks and taking it forward to a logical conclusion.

The NSCN-IM and the other outfits entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India in 1997 and over 80 rounds of negotiations with the Union government have been held in the past in successive governments.