Appoint mediators for convergence of Naga political groups, suggests The Naga Rising

Dimapur, March 8 (EMN): The Naga Rising has suggested that the participants of the consultative meeting on Wednesday mandate the appointment of a “Peace Initiative or group of mediator” with representatives from all sections of Naga society to work for the convergence of Naga political groups (NPGs) and help facilitate the signing of a single agreement.

It stated this in a press release issued on the eve of state government’s consultative meeting with various civil society organisations, church bodies, NLA members, and several noted personalities to discuss Naga peace process, ULB election, AFSPA and NLTP Act.

The meeting will be held on March 9 at 10 am in the State Banquet Hall, Chief Minister’s Residential Complex in Kohima.

It said the consultative meeting is a way forward on the Naga peace process; an opportunity to move beyond the practice of passing resolutions and frame a collective response and plan of action.

“It is a gathering of the best minds from all over Nagaland and we remain hopeful that the collective wisdom generated from this meeting will show us the path to move forward,” it stated.

The Naga Rising has paced the following thoughts and ideas on the Naga peace process:

• We support early resolution as desired by the masses.
• Solution must be honourable as repeatedly assured by the Government of India (GoI) to the Naga public since peace talks began 25 years ago.
• Negotiations must be based on a ‘give and take’ approach and any agreement signed must be mutually acceptable to both the GoI and the Naga Political Groups and cannot be imposed.
• As was wisely stated in public through the previous interlocutor RN Ravi, we support the clear assertion of the GoI that there is only one peace process, which is inclusive and eventually there will be only one agreement as we cannot fragment the Naga issue.
• In the context of the current impasse in the peace process, we propose to the august gathering to work out a mechanism to conclude the peace process in the interest of a peaceful, inclusive and honourable solution. The NPGs must take a common position/approach on the peace process leaving aside their intractable differences.