No interim agreement with Centre: NSCN-IM

KOHIMA, August 17: The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) has vowed against signing any interim agreement with the Centre on the Naga issue, but will continue the ongoing peace talks for a final solution, its vice-president Khodao Yanthan has announced. "NSCN has made its stand on any interim agreement clear to the Centre. It will not agree to anything that betrays the aspirations of the Naga people," he told a public meeting at the organisation's headquarters near Dimapur on Saturday. Yanthan appreciated the statesmanship of Prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and some of his predecessors but expressed dismay over the "bureaucratic approach" of the government to solve the problem. "Failing to understand the urges of the Naga people for honourable peace and failing to honour the commitment given by the Indian Prime ministers (four) to the NSCN collective leadership will only torpedo the peace process," said Yanthan, a close associate of Phizo. The NSCN leader did not attach much importance to the replacement of Swaraj Kaushal by K Padmnabhaiah as the chief mediator, but regretted that the decision had been taken without consulting his organisation.