Padmanabhaiah

New Delhi/Dimapur, April 22: The Centre’s chief interlocutor in the Naga peace talks, K. Padmanabhaiah, today claimed that the last round of talks with the NSCN (I-M) leadership in Amsterdam went off well. His positive outlook was, however, tempered by the outfit’s angry reaction to an Assam Rifles raid on its “town command headquarters” in Dimapur.

Padmanabhaiah, a former Union home secretary, told The Telegraph in New Delhi that that the tenor of the negotiations in Amsterdam was on “expected lines” and that venues for future talks would be decided “as and when the time comes”.

“Overall, there is reason to believe that the developments in Amsterdam have been positive and the steps to carry the peace process forward will be worked out soon,” he said.

The former bureaucrat’s comments are in contrast to the NSCN (I-M)’s announcement that it will not resume the dialogue until Delhi issues a “clarification” on its emissary’s reported statement that all members of the outfit will be “disarmed” before any agreement is signed. “Problems arise because of communication gaps and especially when you say something in English and it is translated into another language. A single word makes a lot of difference and can change the situation,” Padmanabhaiah said.

However, he claimed to be in the dark about the NSCN (I-M)’s demand for a clarification on the issue. “We aired divergent opinions on certain issues in the Dutch capital, but I am unaware of any demand for a clarification. Differences are not unnatural on a gamut of issues. But there is no serious problem as such. It is quite naive to expect results overnight and after every round of discussion. You move forward only by an inch,” he said.

In Dimapur, “quick-reaction teams” of the Assam Rifles’ 10th battalion raided the NSCN (I-M)’s “town command headquarter” and claimed to have recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition, narcotics, cars, fake registration plates and incriminating documents. Two members of the outfit were arrested during the raid on the office, located at Kushiabil.

The seized items include two M-20 pistols, an AK-47 rifle, a 9 mm carbine, 19 pistols, 350 rounds of ammunition, two cordless telephones, 96 electric detonators, one kg of heroin, five kg of ganja, six fake car number plates, two cars without valid papers and a sheaf of incriminating documents. Phungthing Shimrang, convener of the NSCN (I-M)’s ceasefire monitoring cell, was livid after the raid. He accused Assam Rifles of violating the ceasefire ground rules.

Shimrang claimed that the contraband items had actually been seized by “NSCN (I-M) officers” from a truck on Sunday near the Old Airport Road. He identified the consignor as Shyam Panik from Imphal. The driver of the vehicle, Tomba Singh, and another person, Wahimbam Tiken, had been “detained”, he said.

The insurgent leader claimed that the NSCN (I-M)’s “antisocial elements checking committee” was taking stock of the seized goods when the Assam Rifles team raided the office. Charging the Assam Rifles with trying to mislead the people by falsely implicating his organisation in illegal activities, Shimrang said, “If they do not honour our members, we have nothing to do with the government or the talks.”

He termed the raid, which was conducted yesterday, as “an act of revenge” for the killing of two military intelligence officials. “Though there is no proof of the NSCN (I-M)’s involvement in the incident, the army and the Assam Rifles believe we are responsible,” he added.