Top leaders of the NSCN-IM, including T. Muivah, have reached Delhi to hold further talks with the Centre to resolve the decade-old Naga political issue.
The NSCN leaders are likely to meet former Intelligence Bureau Special Director, Akshay Kumar Mishra and top home ministry officials.
During the meetings, the Centre will try to convince the NSCN leaders to drop their demand for a separate flag and Constitution on which they have been adamant, a senior government official said.
Both the Centre and the NSCN leaders have indicated to be keen 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 the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio have been actively involved in the resumption of the peace talks and taking them forward to a logical conclusion.
They also met the Naga leaders, including Muivah, and were persuaded them to come on board for peace talks.
Soon after the transfer of Nagaland Governor R.N. Ravi, who was also the Centre’s interlocutor for the Naga peace talks, the negotiation process resumed on September 20 in Kohima.
Centre’s representative Mishra met the NSCN leaders and invited them to visit Delhi for further rounds of talks.
The NSCN-IM and other outfits entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Government of India in 1997 and over 80 rounds of negotiations have been held so far.