Guwahati, June 2: After seeing the dialogue between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) stutter because of minimal political involvement in the process, the Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) today demanded negotiations with Delhi ?at the highest political level? instead of talks with a bureaucrat interlocutor.
In an exclusive interview to The Telegraph, DHD commander-in-chief Pranab Nunisa said his group wanted either the Prime Minister or his deputy to participate in the proposed peace talks instead of leaving the job to bureaucrats.
?The demand we have raised is a political one and it should be discussed at the political level. Bureaucrats can certainly help in finalising the modalities for peace talks, but they cannot solve the problem,? he said.
The DHD is fighting for a separate state of ?Dimaraji?, comprising the Dimasa-inhabited areas of the ancient Kachari kingdom. The area straddles Assam and Nagaland.
The Dimasa outfit entered into an agreement with Delhi and Dispur on December 23 last year, leading to a six-month truce from January 1. But with only a month left for the term of the ceasefire to end, it is undecided on renewing the agreement.
Nunisa said his organisation would formally seek modifications to certain provisions in the agreement.
He stressed the need for security forces to be made aware of the ground rules of the truce to ensure that members of the DHD were not harassed. The ceasefire monitoring group ? comprising officials of the Union home ministry, the state government and DHD leaders ? has had two sittings in Guwahati so far.
On the involvement of Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and former Union home secretary K. Padmanabhaiah in the Naga peace talks, Nunisa said there could not be a breakthrough without the direct participation of the political leadership in the dialogue.
?The Naga peace talks have not progressed much as an interlocutor cannot respond to each and every political issue without the approval of the political leadership in New Delhi. Direct negotiations at the political level would have expedited the process of finding a solution to the Naga problem.?
The DHD leader said the primary reason why the Naga talks had become a prolonged exercise was the Centre?s decision to appoint a bureaucrat as its interlocutor. ?A bureaucrat has to go back to the government for clarifications on policy decisions, prolonging the process of negotiations.?
Echoing DHD vice-president Dilip Nunisa, who had yesterday accused security forces of ?provocative actions?, the commander-in-chief said the army had unfairly seized weapons from some members of the outfit near Thapa Basti in Cachar district just over a month ago.
Troops of the 17 Punjab Regiment had apprehended 15 DHD members on April 29 on charges of violating the ground rules of the ceasefire. The army team claimed that the rebels were arrested after a chase.
The DHD chief, however, said his men were taken into custody despite both sides showing white flags.