Correspondent
KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 6
Nagaland Peace Centre (NPC) today organized a thanksgiving service at Hotel Japfu, Kohima, commemorating the 1964 ceasefire in Nagaland
Speaking on the occasion, NPC chairman N Theyo underscored the need for all the national workers to reconcile with each other. Conveying a clear message that peace is for life and bloodshed is for death, he said fratricide killing is self-annihilation and against the spirit of nationalism and as such, national workers who are engaged in ceasefire agreement for Naga peace talks for political solution must respect one another and value human dignity so that they can prevent further factional conflicts and killings.Pointing to the messages of the Naga national leaders during the Naga Independence Day earlier this year, Theyo said all the messages were focused on Naga self determination and Naga sovereignty. “The larger issue that remains is the peoples’ issue for self determination, based on the uniqueness of our history in terms of our culture, social and lifestyle in comparison with the other social and cultural fabric in India,” he stated, adding, this has to be resolved through political negotiated solution.
The NPC chairman acknowledged that it was the political magnanimity and intention of leaders like late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, late Lal Bahadur Shastri, late Indira Gandhi, Deve Gowda, PV Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr. Manmohan Singh to effect change from military measures against Nagas and opting for political engagement in their attempt to find out political and peaceful solution to the Naga problem.
Closer home in Nagaland, Theyo said that the Naga people should remember with gratitude the leaders like Rev. Longri Ao, late Kenneth Kerhuo and many others who initiated peace efforts in Nagaland Baptist Convention which was held in Wokha in 1964. He reminded that the convention welcomed the peace talk between the government of India and the then NNC president AZ Phizo. Consequently, he recalled, they formed the Peace Mission with members like late Jayaprakash Narayan, the founder of NPC, late Rev. Michael Scott and late BP Chaliha and after 10 years of bloodshed, the ceasefire came into being on September 6, 1964.
He also remarked that in the recent years, a considerable progress is seen towards realizing the ideals of peace with the ceasefire between the government of India and the NSCN (IM) in 1997 and with the NSCN (K) in 2001. “The efforts of the present government at the Centre is welcoming,” he also added.
A brief discussion on current issues and personal testimonies was also held during the programme. Earlier, CBC Kitsubozou pastor, Vezopa Rhakho pronounced the thanksgiving prayer and blessing and Nagaland Peace Centre executive director, Lhusi Haralu chaired the proceeding of the programme.
