Central, state governments don’t want to solve Naga political issue, claims Congress

Rajya Sabha MP and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of communications department, Jairam Ramesh on Saturday asked what prevented Nagaland Chief Minister, Prime Minister and Union Home Minister from arriving at a solution to the Nagaland political issue during the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA).

He was reacting to CM Neiphiu Rio’s statement at an even on Friday that the core issue in the 14th NLA would be on settlement of Naga issue.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan, Dimapur, Ramesh claimed that the trio do not want a solution, or else they could have done as the BJP had a majority in both houses of the Parliament last five years.

He mentioned that political negotiations started in the 1990s before signing the Framework Agreement in August 2015, while the last assembly election was held in 2018. Therefore, he asked why they were ‘talking about solution again’.

“They are interested only in postponing and not interested in clarifying and getting things done,” he claimed.

Citing the Prime Minister and Home Minister’s visit to the state in the coming days, he asserted that they should take the people of Nagaland into confidence on the implementation of all the promises they made in 2018, not for Northeast but for Nagaland.

‘This is election for Nagaland, so be specific on road, water, stadiums, political solution,’ he stated.

Read: Nagaland only state without medical college — Congress

Terming the 2023 election as ‘election for confusion and not election for solution’, he said the only way forward is for the solution to be based on maintaining the pride, dignity, and diversity of Naga society.

“It should be an honourable settlement which everyone in Nagaland subscribes to and not just one man or one group,” he stated, claiming “only Congress will protect, preserve and promote article 371 (a) which is specific to Nagaland”.

“Let the Prime Minister and Home Minister give a categorical assurance in Nagaland when they come to Nagaland that they will not do to article 371, what they did to article 370, which they finished in eight hours time,” he asserted.

“Let them categorically say that they will implement article 371 (a) in letter and in spirit, and that will be the first step towards finding a solution,” he added.

No shortages of Judases in Nagaland politics

Ramesh said Congress has not been in power in Nagaland for 20 years and they had political setbacks as candidates who were elected on Congress ticket left the party; and so they had to rebuild the organisation, and bring new faces, ‘so it will take some time’.

While maintaining that elected members should stay with the party, he expressed sadness over less party commitment in Indian politics.

‘Once they win from a party ticket, they join another party,’ he said, adding that “there are no shortage of Judases in Nagaland politics.

‘I think the Congress made a very serious attempt and a solution was in sight but it should be a solution that is acceptable to a larger section of people and that is where the issue could not get resolved,’ he added.

(Dimapur, EMN)