Bring negotiation on Naga issue to logical conclusion, says Nagaland Tribes Council

Dimapur, Aug. 3 (EMN): The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) on Tuesday stated that everyone should make efforts to ensure that years of negotiation on the Naga political issue is brought to a logical conclusion.

In a representation to the chief minister of Nagaland, who is also the convenor of the recently constituted Parliamentary Core Committee on Naga Political Issue, the NTC said that non-settlement of the protracted issue has taken a huge toll on the economy, socio-political fabric and well-being of the people of Nagaland in particular.

It lamented that the “negotiations have become unconvincing” as solution hasn’t come despite 24 years of negotiation with the government of India (GoI) by the NSCN (IM) and four years by the Working Committee, NNPG.

While acknowledging that all the negotiating parties and facilitators have made much investment in terms of time, energy and sacrifices, it said “we cannot afford to belie the people by letting the exercises to become a damp squib due to insincerity” after having come this far.

It also lamented that the final solution is elusive despite some big announcements, including Prime Minister of India’s statement during the inauguration of Hornbill Festival in 2015 to settle the issue with 18 months and the Naga political issue being used as a catchphrase in state Assembly elections since 2002.

“These promises have created anxiety amongst the people, and that the Nagas are impatient now to continue remaining in years of uncertainties. The longer the process of solution to Naga political issue takes the more complicated it becomes to find a solution to this vexed Naga political problems,” read the representation.

It also reminded that dialogue between GoI and Naga political groups had culminated on October 31 2019 with agreed points, considering “all unresolved matters shall be pursued through democratic political process post-solution”.

The NTC went on to state that it had welcomed the formation of the Parliamentary Core Committee on Naga Political Issue, consisting of all NLA members and two MPs from Nagaland, hoping that it would live up to the expectation of the people.

It urged the committee to implement one of its resolutions adopted at its meeting on July 9, which said the representatives of the people had “come together under the same banner in line with the election manifestos of all political parties and commit to the people that the elected members are prepared to pave way as and when an inclusive, honourable and acceptable solution arrived at”.

It said implementing the resolution by sacrificing their seats will make immense impact on the process of negotiations to the decades-old Naga political issue.