R N Ravi resigns as Centre’s interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks, Know details

R N Ravi on September 22, 2021, resigned from the post of the Centre’s interlocutor for Naga peace talks after serving for the post since 2014. The Home Ministry has accepted his resignation with immediate effect. During his tenure as the interlocutor, Ravi negotiated key insurgent groups for signing the Naga Peace Accord. The resignation of Ravi came in amid demands from NSCN(I-M) to remove him from his post as Governor of Nagaland and as Interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks.

On September 9, 2021, the Central government had deputed Ravi as Tamil Nadu Governor due to increased disapproval of his ways to handle the Naga Peace process. For the past few years, the negotiations over the Naga Peace process have been unsuccessful between the NSCN(I-M), the lead Naga Group and the Centre, and Ravi.

Also read: Nagaland Governor R N Ravi becomes new Governor of Tamil Nadu – All you need to know

Who will replace R N Ravi?

Former Intelligence Bureau Special Director Akshay Mishra is likely to replace Ravi as the new peace talks interlocutor. A 1987-batch IPS officer of Rajasthan cadre Mishra has already been dealing with various Naga groups as in charge of Northeast Affairs while serving in the Intelligence Bureau (IB). After the unsuccessful negotiations and verbal spats between Ravi and NSCN(I-M) in 2020, Mishra has been interacting with Naga groups to take forward the Naga Peace Accord.

Naga groups also approve of the ways that Mishra has been handling the negotiations from the Centre’s side.

Appointment of Akshay Mishra as Centre’s Interlocutor for Naga Peace talks

The resignation of R N Ravi and appointment of Akshay Mishra as Centre’s Interlocutor for Naga Peace talks came in a day after the meeting of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma (also Chief of North East Democratic Alliance NEDA) and Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio with key leaders of NSCN(I-M), including Th Muivah.

In a closed-door meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah expressed to resume the Naga Peace talks to find a solution at the earliest. Rio handed over a letter to the NSCN(I-M) from the Union Home Secretary that said that “A K Mishra is being authorized to resume talks with the NSCN(I-M). Prime Minister is also keen to resolve the Naga issue” in order for peace, tranquility, and economic activity can take place in the state.

Naga Peace Accord

The Naga Peace Accord is a peace treaty that was signed on August 3, 2015, between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) in the presence of PM Narendra Modi.

The Accord aims at ending the insurgency in Nagaland. R N Ravi was the Centre’s interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks who had signed the Accord while representing the Indian Government. Lt. Isak Chishi Swu, Chairman and Thuingaleng Muivah, General Secretary of the NSCN signed from the side of NSCN.

However, the government has not achieved success to finalize a solution despite a Framework Agreement for Naga Peace Accord. NSCN(I-M) has been demanding the removal of Ravi citing a deteriorating relationship between the Centre, interlocutor Ravi, and the NSCN(I-M).

Ravi in 2020 wrote to Nagaland CM Rio stating, ‘rampant extortions and violence’, ‘armed gangs running parallel governments’, ‘challenging the legitimacy of the state government’. NSCN(I-M) responded alleging that Ravi was trying to create a divide among Naga people and misleading the central government and a parliamentary standing committee on the Framework Agreement for Naga Peace Accord.