National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) emissary V S Atem on Wednesday said that substantive talks between the government and the Naga leaders would be held in New Delhi in January 2005 after the outfit's leaders, Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, return from their three-week holiday in Nagaland.

Atem said the two leaders were now making courtesy calls on government and opposition leaders.

"Our leadership will meet Sharad Pawar and Pranab Mukherjee, Cabinet ministers in Dr Manmohan Singh's government, in the morning on Thursday. In the afternoon they will meet former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and V P Singh," he said.

Swu, Muivah and other Naga leaders called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday evening and spent half an hour discussing the Naga problem.

"Mrs Sonia Gandhi expressed that whatever the conflict, dispute or differences be, it must be solved though peaceful negotiations. Th Muviah said that if the Government of India acknowledges the realities of the Nagas, then the Nagas are prepared to acknowledge the realities of India even ten times more," Atem said.

Asked if transferring the Naga-dominated territories to Nagaland would not create problems in other states like Manipur and Assam, Atem said this was for the government to handle. "All that we are saying is give us our land which is historically ours."