Imphal, Nov 12: The United Naga Council (UNC), an apex body of the Naga community in Manipur, has expressed its desire for rescheduling of the date for the next round of the tripartite talks among the UNC, Government of Manipur and Government of India in the fourth week of November this year.

UNC general secretary Vareiyo Satshang wrote a letter to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in this regard on Sunday.

"With reference to your letter dated 8th November, 2024, on the captioned subject communicating that the next tripartite talk would be held on November 13, 2024, I am to inform you on the advice of the president of the UNC that due to inevitable prior engagement of some members of the UNC talk team on the day scheduled for the next tripartite talk, your good self may kindly re- schedule the next talk in the 4th week of November 2024," said the letter addressed to MHA advisor (North East) AK Mishra.

The Centre had invited the UNC for the next round of tripartite talks in Senapati on November 13 at 10 am.

On October 11, the talks resumed after a gap of about five years in New Delhi, and the discussions focused on the creation of seven new districts by the Government of Manipur on December 8, 2016 and the UNC's demand to roll back the newly created districts. The tripartite talks started in 2017 and 11 rounds have been held. But no progress has been made so far.

The UNC had 'temporarily suspended' its proposed 48- hour total bandh in Naga areas of Manipur from the midnight of October 3, 2024 after the resumption of the talks.

On September 11, the UNC had submitted an ultimatum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the pending issues of "arbitrary creation of seven new districts in Manipur", and demanded roll back of the Ma- nipur Government's decision.