Centre In A Tight Spot Over Interlocutor's Position For Naga Talks
NDTV
RN Ravi was recently removed as Nagaland Governor, but he still holds the interlocutor's position.
The Centre's attempts to resume the stalled talks with Naga rebels in India's northeast haven't borne fruit despite a potential new government interlocutor having been finalised. The reason: the incumbent is yet to relinquish the post.
The Centre hasn't been able to finalise the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Special Director Akshaya Kumar Mishra in the position because former Nagaland Governor RN Ravi still holds charge as interlocutor.
While Mr Mishra is Union Home Minister Amit Shah's choice, Mr Ravi, a 1976-batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre who was also with the IB earlier, was handpicked for the job by National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval in 2014.
"It's been more than one year now...he (Mr Ravi) has not met anyone as an interlocutor. He was appointed Tamil Nadu Governor last week, but he still has not relinquished his charge as interlocutor," a source in the Ministry of Home Affairs disclosed.