What does Prime Minister Vajpayee say?
Prime Minister Vajpayee is very co-operative. He is very serious about making these peace negotiations a success. Has the prime minister given you a free hand to talk to the Naga leaders? Yes, he has given me a free hand. But I must repeat that I am neither an emissary or a representative of the Government of India. I am the chief minister of Mizoram and I cannot be available to hold talks all the time. This is a full time job and the GoI should appoint someone to do the talking to the Naga leaders. A time will come when politicians at the Centre or ministers in the Union Cabinet will have to take over the negotiations. There will come a time when the home minister himself will have to take over the negotiations. I can only pave the way for face to face talks. Even in the case of talks with the MNF the same procedure had been followed. The home minister of India had stepped into the picture to facilitate the talks. The time has come when peace should and must return to Nagaland and the
