Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram in his last press conference as the Home Minister of India Tuesday observed that the ongoing peace talks between NSCN (I-M) and government of India have reached a “sensitive stage” and efforts were on to iron out a longstanding solution to the Naga political issue.

According to Vision Communications, Chidambaram made it clear stating “first we will try to reach an agreement with NSCN (I-M). Only then, we will talk with the other two groups provided they are willing to talk. As everybody knows, one group lives outside India.”

On the possibility of an interim government comprising representatives from NSCN and others, Chidambaram cautioned, “Let’s not go too fast. Let’s complete the first step. Then we will think about the next step.”

The union home minister also added that all the 60 legislators of the Nagaland Assembly belonging to various political parties were slated to reach New Delhi to meet him and the Prime Minister on August 6 and 7 in support of the ongoing peace talks.

Even Naga Hoho had expressed its satisfaction with the “progress report of the ongoing peace talks which are being handled with utmost care and sincerity by the principal negotiators and the Government of India.”

Chidambaram who has just returned from his two-day Assam visit Tuesday stated that the main concern of the Government at present was to ensure the safe return of over four lakh refugees sheltered in 278 camps in the riot hit districts to their villages which was expected to be completed within the next few days.