Indo-Naga talks: ‘Do not use neighbours as excuse’

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 7 (EMN): Naga People’s Front (NPF) legislator Vikheho Swu said that the government of India “should not use the excuse of not getting a favourable response from the neighbouring states as a means to prolong the final settlement of the Indo-Naga political issue.”   

Swu made this remark on the first day of the fifth assembly session of the 13th NLA while debating over the address made by Nagaland Governor RN Ravi on January 17.

“It would be grievously wrong on the part of the government of India to blame the Nagas and neighbouring states for prolonging the settlement or should anything go wrong,” he said.

Governor Ravi, in his January 17 address, had said that negotiations have been “successfully concluded”. To this, Swu said, “If that is so, it would be productive if the government of India discloses to the Naga people and to all the stakeholders what has been agreed or negotiated so far.”

Another NPF legislator, Chotisuh Sazo said that the government should explain the meaning of ‘successfully concluding’ the Indo-Naga talks. “The unambiguous position taken by our forefathers to leave us alone, as and when the white men leave, through the memorandum submitted in 1929 to the Simon Commission, Declaration of Naga Independence of 14th August 1947 and reaffirmation of the people’s desire to live as a people through 1951 plebiscite are the testimonies of the collective will of the people,” maintained Sazo.

He also highlighted several agreements with the government of India such as 9-Point Agreement of 1947, 16-Point Agreement of 1960, Ceasefire Agreement in 1964, Shillong Accord 1975, Ceasefire Agreement with NSCN (IM) in 1997, NSCN (K) in 2001 and Unification group in 2012 and said, “Each of these agreements were necessitated upon its own course of time and has benefitted our people but fell short of Naga people’s aspiration and birthright.”

The debate on the governor’s speech will resume on February 10.