A high-profile meeting of Tangkhul bodies Wednesday defied expectations of the audiences as it turned out to be a regular affair with participating NSCN (I-M) leaders repeating the same old stories of “the ongoing Indo-Naga peace dialogue” and appealing for “continued public support” towards the issue.

In the daylong Tangkhul consultative programme, NSCN (I-M) functionaries ‘Kilonser’ K.P. Huray, emissary to collective leadership V.S. Atem, and Standhope Varah attended and delivered talks on contemporary issues confronting the Nagas, while former Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) president Stephen Angkang was also among the resource persons.

On Wednesday the audiences, drawn from all over Ukhrul district, did not get the expected treat as there was nothing new in the menu with the deliberation basically on the protracted Indo-Naga ceasefire and the NSCN’s dilly-dally standpoint on Indian electoral politics.

The meet also discussed the “boycott call” against the autonomous district councils (ADC). “Naga’s stand” should remain as far the ADC is concerned, reaffirmed a senior NSCN leader during the discussion. Today’s key agenda was the NSCN’s proclamation of involving in next parliamentary polls.

The meeting in the capacity-packed Union Baptist Church (UBC) hall, however, witnessed the moderators parrying most of the pertinent queries from discussion while reducing the spirit of consultative programme to a damp squib.