Shillong, Sept 16: The peace talks between the Centre and NSCN (I-M) have not made any headway in the last six years as no "substantive issue" was discussed, former Nagaland Chief Minister S C Jamir said today. "So far no substantive issue was discussed between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) and after every meeting a joint statement is issued where the last line says the talks ended in deadlocks," Jamir told reporters here.

Meanwhile, killing, extortions and all sorts of unlawful activities were on the rise in the state ever since the Rio government took over, the senior Congress leader, who was ousted by the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland regime in the last assembly polls, alleged.

Jamir, who was here to attend the north-eastern Congress coordination committee meeting, said that people in the state should be given freedom to express themselves.
Often dubbed as a "stumbling block" to the peace process, Jamir said that Naga people would not accept any formula about which they were not consulted.

Bureau Report