The Government of India’s appointment of retired IPS officer Ajit Lal as the new interlocutor for the Indo-Naga political talks has brought back to the negotiating table an officer with long experience in the Northeast and a previous direct association with the Naga peace process.
Lal’s appointment was reported in September 2026, after he had already been serving as Adviser (Northeast) in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs since February. The development comes as New Delhi seeks to revive momentum in the long-running Naga political dialogue.
Who is Ajit Lal?
Ajit Lal is a 1974-batch retired Indian Police Service officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre. He spent much of his career in the Intelligence Bureau and later served as Special Director of the IB.
He subsequently became Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) under the National Security Council Secretariat, serving from 2011 until July 2014. His career included assignments involving insurgency-affected regions, including the Northeast.
According to the Indian Express, Lal headed the IB’s Northeast desk as an Additional Director between 1999 and 2007, a period during which the Centre’s engagement with the NSCN (IM) was an important part of his responsibilities.
Lal’s earlier role in the Naga talks
Lal is not a newcomer to the Indo-Naga dialogue.
In 2014, after the resignation of interlocutor R.S. Pandey, Lal temporarily handled the responsibilities of interlocutor. His period of direct involvement in the talks lasted approximately five months, from March to July 2014.
The Home Ministry subsequently recommended Lal for the full-time interlocutor’s position. However, the Prime Minister’s Office ultimately appointed R.N. Ravi instead in August 2014. Contemporary reporting by the Indian Express said the Home Ministry had recommended Lal, while the PMO chose Ravi.