Rijiju appeals to Indian Nagas in NSCN-K to surrender

Guwahati, June 10 (IANS) A day after the death of NSCN-K chairman S.S. Khaplang in Myanmar, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju on Saturday appealed to the Indian Nagas in the outfit to surrender and join the national mainstream.

Making the appeal while talking to media on the sidelines of a government programme here, he assured that the government is ready to rehabilitate everyone who is ready to shun violence.

"NSCN-K chairman S.S. Khaplang was a Naga from Myanmar and influentialone in Myanmar. The NSCN-K has Nagas from Myanmar as well as Nagas from Indian side. I cannot comment anything on the Myanmarese Nagas but I am appealing to the Indian Nagas in NSCN-K to return and surrender and government of India is ready to rehabilitate them provided they are ready to abjure violence," he said.

Rijiju also contended that the death of Khaplang will also affect other militant outfits from the northeast, currently sheltering in Myanmar. "Khaplang was very influential in Myanmar and many organisations were dependent on him. The NSCN-K will also suffer and it will be difficult for them to achieve their goal now without Khaplang," he said.

Asked about the ongoing peace talks with Ulfa's pro-talk faction, Rijiju said that these were moving in right direction and have reached almost their final stage.

"Most of the demands put forward by the Ulfa pro-talk faction are worth consideration and we are genuinely considering them," he said.

He reiterated that talks are being held under the framework of the Constitution and that the government is ready to even talk to the Paresh Baruah faction of Ulfa's anti-talk group provided they adhere to Indian Constitution and come for talks.

Rijiju made it clear that there cannot be talks on "sovereignty" and that if "sovereignty" is on the agenda, there cannot be any talks.