GUWAHATI, 3 February 2005 — India’s Home Minister Shivraj Patil has said New Delhi cannot accept demands by an influential separatist group from Nagaland for merging tribal Naga-inhabited areas in the region unless there is a consensus.

“Our stand on maintaining the territorial integrity of all states has been made in black and white in our Common Minimum Program,” Patil told reporters in Assam’s main city of Guwahati late Tuesday.

“If any alteration has to be made, it has to be done with the concurrence of the states and their people.”

Central government negotiators are expected to meet with separatist leaders from the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) in New Delhi later this week for new talks to end India’s longest-running insurgency. “Talks are likely to begin either Thursday or on Friday,” senior NSCN leader V.S. Atem told IANS yesterday.

The NSCN, the oldest and the most powerful of around 30 rebel armies in the region, wants the creation of a Greater Nagaland by slicing off parts of the neighboring states of Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh that has sizeable Naga tribal populations. The NSCN has reacted angrily to Patil’s statement.

“There can be no compromise at all on the issue of integrating all Naga-inhabited areas in the region. Such comments made on the eve of the scheduled talks is very unfortunate and does not augur well for taking forward the peace process,” Atem said.

“Nobody can keep the Nagas divided arbitrarily and any attempts at not conceding to our demand will not be acceptable to us.”

The states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur, all of which have sizeable Naga populations, have decided not to compromise on its territorial integrity.

“We are not bothered about the NSCN’s demands. But then we are not going to part with even an inch of our territory,” Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang said.

The Assam and Manipur governments echoed similar sentiments. “There will be turmoil in the region if New Delhi accepts the NSCN’s merger theory,” said Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.

But Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphio Rio sounded a different note: “It will be in the interest of peace that New Delhi must accept the NSCN’s demand for integration.”

NSCN leaders Thuingaleng Muivah and Isak Chishi Swu are in India at the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for furthering the peace talks.

The two self-exiled rebel leaders had arrived in New Delhi December and held an informal meeting with Manmohan before visiting their native state in Nagaland for celebrating Christmas.

The duo of Swu and Muivah have been operating out of Southeast Asian cities for the past 37-years. The NSCN is currently holding peace talks with New Delhi after the two sides entered into a ceasefire in 1997.