Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that the death of NSCN(K) chairman SS Khaplang will impact on the other insurgent outfits of the North-Eastern region and appealed the Indian Nagas in NSCN(K) to surrender and join the national mainstream.
Rijiju said this on Saturaday while interacting with the newsmen here on the sidelines of a programme and added that the Government of India had banned the NSCN(K) in 2016 by a special notification after the organisation abrogated from the undergoing ceasefire agreement.
“SS Khaplang was one of the most influential insurgent leaders. He is a Myanmar based Naga.The activities of the NSCN(K) affected large areas in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. The organisation will be disoriented now after his death. I cannot comment on the Nagas from Myanmar but appeal to all the Indian Nagas in NSCN(K) to surrender and join the national mainstream. We will rehabilitate everyone who is ready to abjure violence,” he said.
Asked about the ongoing talks with pro-talk faction of Ulfa militants, the Union Minister said that the talks are on in right direction. “We genuinely feel that the most of the demands are worth considering. I cannot announce now but can say that their demands are worth consideration and we are giving a serious consideration to it,” he said.
Rijiju, however, refused to spell out any fixed timeframe for the talks but said that talks will soon reach its desired end.
Asked whether ‘sovereignty’ is issue in the talks, he said that there cannot be the issue of ‘sovereignty’.
“If the demand is ‘sovereignty,’ there cannot be any talk. Talks are being held within the framework of Indian Constitution. Even I am not mandated to say anything which is now under the framework of Indian Constitution,” he said.
On the chief of anti-talk faction of Ulfa led by Paresh baruah or Paresh Asom, the senior BJP leader said that anyone who abjures violence and who adheres to Indian Constitution can come for talks.