The Centre’s ongoing peace process with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (IM) is set to get a fresh impetus with the top leadership arriving in the Capital on Wednesday for discussions on the 30-point demand submitted more than five years ago.

Chairman Isak Chisi Swu and general-secretary Thuingaleng Muivah will arrive in New Delhi on December 20 for a couple of months, highly placed sources in the Home ministry said, adding that the itinerary would be chalked after their arrival. This might include a visit to Nagaland during Christmas. The leaders would be joined in New Delhi by a delegation of the outfit from Nagaland.

The decision for their visit was taken at the last round of talks held between 4-6 December at Amsterdam. The demands submitted by the NSCN(IM) include the creation of Greater Nagalim, autonomy envisaging a federal relationship with the Centre, greater control over natural resources, flag, stamps and separate representation in the United Nations.

Formal talks began only last year though the ceasefire was signed in 1997. For long, negotiations were deadlocked over the demand of Greater Nagalim as it would necessitate dividing Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh and attaching the contiguous Naga inhabited territories in these states with Nagaland. The Centre has indicated that the current boundaries of the states would not be changed unless there was a consensus among the states.

During his Manipur visit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said as much, ruffling the feathers of the Naga leadership. This prompted the Centre to include Union minister Oscar Fernandes in the Amsterdam talks.

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