The Global Naga Forum (GNF) has welcomed the appointment of retired IPS officer and former Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) Ajit Lal as the new interlocutor for the Indo-Naga political talks, as well as the reported move to include a Union Minister or a group of Union Ministers in the negotiation framework.
The Government of India appointed Lal as the new interlocutor last week, while the proposed inclusion of Union-level ministers has been reported as part of efforts to advance the long-running political dialogue.
In a statement, the GNF said the developments could bring renewed momentum to the peace process and urged the parties involved to approach the negotiations with “utmost seriousness, sincerity and urgency”.
The forum linked the latest developments to a consultative meeting convened by the Government of Nagaland on September 12, 2024, in which around 45 Naga civil society organisations, tribal hohos and other organisations had participated.
According to the GNF, the meeting had collectively resolved to appeal to the Government of India to appoint a new interlocutor and elevate the Indo-Naga political dialogue to the highest political level.
The forum acknowledged the efforts of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Lok Sabha MPs Phangnon Konyak and Supongmeren Jamir, tribal hohos, civil society and mass-based organisations, church bodies, NGOs, students, political parties and other stakeholders in pursuing the resolution.
The GNF said the appointment of Lal and the proposed Union-level ministerial involvement represented a development in line with that earlier demand.
The forum also appealed to the NSCN/GPRN leadership and the Government of India to approach the negotiations with urgency, noting that the political dialogue has continued for nearly three decades without a final settlement.
“The Naga people deserve peace, dignity and an early political solution,” the GNF said.
The forum expressed hope that the peace process would proceed through dialogue and called on the leadership on both sides to assume what it described as a “historic responsibility” to resolve the Naga political issue.
Lal, a 1974-batch retired IPS officer and former JIC chairman, was appointed Northeast Adviser in the Union Home Ministry in February 2026. His appointment as interlocutor comes amid renewed efforts to advance the Indo-Naga political dialogue.
