Defer Nagaland Polls to Aid Solution— Civil Society to PM

NTC

To The Prime Minister of India, New Delhi. Through Shri. R. N. Ravi, the Interlocutor, GOI.   Sub:     Representation. Honorable Sir, The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) is ever grateful to you for having invited the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) to political negotiation since 21.9.2017. Following that, the Working Committee and the GOI’s Interlocutor have had 9(nine) round of talks and there has been progress. Meanwhile, it is felt necessary to once again apprise the Honorable Prime Minister of the importance of how the ongoing negotiation should bring logical result to the protracted Naga political issue without letting any situation hamper the progress. That Sir, the ground reality is that the State of Nagaland has been reeling under 10 Governments for decades. Beside the legitimate State Government, there are 9 Governments of NNPGs all housed in Nagaland and sourced by one Government. Whereas, we talk about corruption and developmental backwardness in Nagaland but it is obvious that development cannot literally take place in a place which is over-administered by too many authorities without synchronization. Under such maladministration, the ultimate victim is the general public. Thus, the citizens of Nagaland have been facing this unbearable situation for years together. Honorable Sir, what is of paramount importance to the citizens of Nagaland today is the solution to the protracted Naga political issue. Whereas, what has deeply distressed NTC is the impending situation once elections are announced as it can distract the focus on negotiation process. There is no ambiguity that the ongoing negotiation needs unstinted support of the public for the simple reason that the ultimate outcome of the negotiation has to be welcomed and also owned by the public otherwise one cannot expect sustainable peace in our land. We all know what degree of ramifications the State Assembly elections can impact on its citizens. General elections in Nagaland is due awaiting for ECI to announce its schedule any moment from now. The moment election schedule is announced, the attention of the public will be focused on election dragging the negotiation to penultimate. Consequently, the cooperation of the public extended to the Working Committee will be jeopardized, the unity of the public on negotiation will be fragmented and the total atmosphere of the State will be placed in haywire. After such devastation, to bring the situation to normalcy post election will take time plus the risk of keeping the society divided with election phobia for a longer period of time. In the light of above, the existing 60 MLAs along with the former legislators adopted a joint resolution on 7.12.2017 to press for political solution before election. On the strength of this, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly adopted its resolution on 14.12.2017 for the same. Moreover, more than 40 NGOs including tribal hohos(organisations) gathered on 9.12.2017 at Dimapur and unanimously resolved to prefer solution to election. All these voices of the people being raised for one single objective which is none other than the desire of the people to ultimately eradicate chaos and confusion and to have lasting peace and progress in our land henceforth. The NTC therefore appeals to the esteem authority to kindly appreciate the sentiment of our people and extend magnanimous support to us in refurbishing the State of Nagaland under your dynamic leadership. The NTC therefore urges upon you to kindly defer the election in the State of Nagaland so as to pave way for smooth transaction of the process of political negotiation.     To The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Lok Kalyan Marg New Delhi (Through His Excellency the Governor of Nagaland)   : Appeal to defer 2018 Assembly election in Nagaland and impose President’s Rule in the State in order to facilitate Indo-Naga Solution at the earliest. Most Hon’ble Prime Minister, The ACAUT Nagaland is deeply appreciative of your sincere desire to resolve the Naga political issue; and as such when the BJP came to power in 2014, the Prime Minister in all sincerity promised to resolve the issue within 18 months. Another of your great personal initiative was to invite the 6 Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) for talks in 2017. Thus, while keeping the backdrop in mind, the ACAUT Nagaland, a people’s movement against corruption and illegal taxations, though appreciative, is however afraid that the much yearned Naga Solution will to continue to elude us if the 2018 State Assembly election is held as scheduled in the month of Feb/March: Thus, the ACAUT Nagaland would like the Hon’ble Prime Minister to consider our position and defer elections in Nagaland slated for Feb/March 2018. With the term of the present Assembly ending in March, the GoI may then recommend the imposition of President’s Rule in the State. It is during the period of President’s Rule that your government should be able to complete the negotiation process with the NNPGs and the NSCN-IM and finally announce a Naga Settlement. Extraordinary times requires extraordinary leadership; and it is during this period that the BJP government should be able to initiate much needed developmental activities in the State sorely missing in the last decade or so, thanks to corruption. That Prime Minister Sir, the favourable political climate of this country is climate that you’ve created, with you in pole position to settle the Naga issue once and for all. And you do have the required numbers in the Lok Sabha to pursue your agenda of Peace. This is a Golden opportunity and an opportune time for both India and Nagas to ink a peace-deal under your leadership. But should elections be held in Nagaland for the sake of ‘constitutional process’, circumstances will dictate that the yearned Naga Solution should never materialize. The ACAUT Nagaland is solely guided by the interest of the Naga people. Thanking You,   To Shri. Narendra Modi Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, New Delhi. Through Shri. R.N Ravi. Interlocutor, Government of India. Dated: Monday, the 8th of January 2018 Most Respectfully, We, the Gaon Burrah Federation of Nagaland (Village Chiefs) along with the Nagaland Tribes Council of Nagaland, would like to humbly submit the petition seeking immediate intervention of your gracious self to defer/postpone elections to Nagaland State Legislative Assembly for the following reasons. Under your visionary leadership, Nagas have hope in the Government of India to solve the prolonged Naga political issue. Elections will only derail the process and any change in the political system through elections will go against the desire and aspiration of the people. Therefore, we request your benign leadership to postpone the elections to Nagaland Legislative Assembly, till the eagerly awaited negotiated political solution and future practical relationship between the Government of India and Nagas is agreed upon by the negotiating entities and declared by your esteemed office. Thanking You Mr. Prime Minister.