Kohima, June 15: The Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) today cautioned the Centre to avoid talking to one or two groups as it would not solve the Naga problem permanently.

Wangtin Naga, minister for information and publicity of the NSCN (K), said the split in the outfit on June 7 last year was because of differences in political ideologies regarding talks with the Centre among the top brass. He said Kitovi Zhimomi, general secretary of NSCN (Khole-Kitovi), wanted to enter into dialogue with the government of India without chairman S.S. Khaplang as New Delhi did not want to talk to the latter, who is from Burma.

He said Kitovi also wanted to settle the issue of Nagas in Nagaland only, which was opposed by some leaders of the outfit.

The NSCN (K) had claimed that the Khole-Kitovi faction wanted to settle for an economic package, compromising the sovereignty of Nagaland, which has been pending for over 60 years. The rival faction also reportedly wanted the Centre to increase the number of Assembly and parliamentary seats in Nagaland.

Naga said formation of the Khole-Kitovi faction, which is also known as “unification group” in collaboration with NSCN (I-M) deserters had created more fragmentation in Naga society.

He said Khaplang had categorically said he could reconcile with NSCN (I-M) but not with the people who had defected from the outfit. Had there been no NSCN (Khole-Kitovi), unification of Naga factions could have been possible by now, Naga added.

The outfit would not compromise on the sovereignty of Nagaland though Khaplang was not against any group or faction which settled for financial or economic packages or an autonomous council, he said, while cautioning India that talks with one or two groups would not permanently solve the Naga problem.