North Block's abrupt decision -- it's being viewed as a blow for Chief Minister S C Jamir's Congress Government -- came recently during the 15th Ceasefire Monitoring Group Meeting its senior officials held at Dimapur with representatives of the NSCN (IM) faction. The meet was considered to be crucial as the Government's ceasefire with Naga militants is ending on July 31.

Thus, any further extension of the ceasefire would depend largely on the outcome of these talks. But as things stand, fresh hurdles have come in the way of lasting peace in the region. It appears that neither the security forces nor the militants are agreeing on returning the weapons seized from each other recently. This issue was discussed threadbarein the recent talks, but both sides refused to budge and the deadlock continues.

This, however, is not the case when it comes to serious allegations against the State Government. Of late, the NSCN(IM) has been insistent on its demand to probe specific charges against the Government. And to its delight, New Delhi is not only listening, but responding favourably. One of the accusations levelled by the IM-faction concerns the Naga Federal Group (NFG) and the attempts to push in arms to its cadre.

In the recent talks, the IM representatives stuck to their charges and told the Union Home Ministry's additional secretary P D Shenoy (he's also the chairman of the monitoring group) that the State Government had ``given a sum of Rs 10 lakh to the NFG for purchase of arms etc and has promised to provide another Rs 40 lakh soon.''