NSCN(IM) has sought removal of RN Ravi as the interlocutor of the Naga peace talks. (File)
Days after the Naga armed political group NSCN(IM) sought removal of Nagaland Governor RN Ravi as the interlocutor of the Naga peace talks, a leading Naga civil society organisation has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to consider such a move as it would derail the progress already been made so far.
In a letter addressed to PM Modi, The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) stated that the demand to remove Mr Ravi was being made without assessing the reality of the progress already made. It claimed that certain section of people with "vested interest" were making the demand "solely to derail the peace process" so that the Naga political issue was back to square one and invite uncertainty in the name of political dialogue.
"The changing of Interlocutor for Naga Peace process is not the answer at this juncture when the incumbent is diligently trying to work out a solution to the vexed Naga political issue," NTC further wrote in the letter.
NTC is a prominent tribal civil society of Nagaland apart from the Naga Hoho which is the apex body of all Naga communities.
Naga Hoho has been upset with the Mr Ravi over the imbroglio in the talks.
The NSCN(IM), which has been engaged in peace negotiations with the Centre for the last 23 years, has accused R N Ravi of converting a political issue into a law and order problem and adopting a "stratagem" that resulted in the killing and arrest of its members.
The group has also alleged that Mr Ravi was trying to divide the Naga people and "misled" the central government and a parliamentary standing committee on the Naga framework agreement signed on August 3, 2015.
There has been no treaty since the signing of the agreement because of disagreements over a separate flag and constitution.
Last year, the NSCN(IM) hardened its stance on its demand for a separate flag and constitution - which the Centre had already rejected. Barring the NSCN(IM), the other Naga groups, who joined the process in 2017, have been ready to ink the final peace deal without a separate flag and constitution.