Naga peace talk interlocutor holds talks with youths

Naga peace talk interlocutor and Chairman of Joint Intelligence Committee R N Ravi, held deliberations with youths of three insurgency-affected districts of Arunachal Pradesh, in a departure from the earlier practice of just talking to the elected representatives and government officials.
The hour long deliberation was held yesterday between the Naga peace talk interlocutor and a few youths of Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts.
This was a follow up meeting to an earlier deliberation between Ravi and Editor-In-Chief of Eastern Sentinel, Jarpum Gamlin.
"This was a first meeting of its kind in more than two decades of insurgency in the areas. The process has been set rolling," Gamlin said.

If everything goes as per plan, there would be more of such consultative meetings between the well-meaning people, not necessarily leaders, and the Centre, he said.
"In all likelihood, according to yesterday's discussion, there will be a follow-up consultative meeting sometime in the second week of December within the north east," Gamlin said.

Stressing that violence and atrocities must stop and things must change for better, Ravi said issues and concerns of the affected locals in Arunachal Pradesh shall be taken into consideration in the peace talks.
Ravi acknowledged the pitfalls in ceasefire agreement when youths raised concerns over the "non-transparency" in ceasefire agreement, including ambiguity over operation, jurisdiction and members of the ceasefire monitoring committee.

"We will bring in more transparency into the process and address grievances," he added.