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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Aug. 15 (EMN): Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Sunday said that the state was a contributing and participating member of India's nation building process even as the country celebrates 75 years of freedom from British rule.
“Our state has also been an equal partner with all the other states of the nation in the journey that we all have been making on the path of development and prosperity”, Rio said in his address at the 75th Independence Day programme at Secretariat Plaza in Kohima.
‘Decades since statehood, one could see how Nagaland has evolved as a confident state and developed in every field,’ he maintained.
Nagaland has given the country its best daughters and sons in the journey of India's progress in multiple fields, he said.
‘Its soldiers have fought the country's enemies and guarded borders with courage. Artists, musicians and cultural ambassadors from the state have added to the vibrant diversity of the country and in the fields of public affairs, bureaucracy, judiciary, sports and the fourth estate, the citizens of Nagaland have served the country with exemplary distinction,’ he shared.
‘Even as the country crosses the landmark of 75 years, it is also an occasion to celebrate the remarkable contributions of Nagaland and Nagas in the journey of the great nation thus far’, Rio asserted.
Taking the occasion, he called upon people of the state to take a pledge to re-dedicate oneself to work sincerely for bringing positive developments in areas that were still lagging behind so that Nagaland can be amongst the most developed and progressive states of the country.
"It is our dream and our aspiration to take Nagaland forward in a progressive manner and I look forward to the cooperation and participation of all citizens, especially the youth, in our common quest to make Nagaland a much better place for the present and future generations", Rio said.
He urged people of the state to give their best efforts to make Nagaland shine brighter.
‘Work towards a Nagaland where peace and security prevails, where an atmosphere and platform is provided to the youth to have equal opportunities and compete with the rest of the country and the world. A society powered by economic growth with a thriving atmosphere of creativity and innovation; with the constant flowering of the human spirit and the triumph of the human endeavor,’ he said.
Naga political issue as old as India
“As a part of this great country, we continue to be in pursuit of the final solution of the Naga political issue, which remains as old as this nation itself. Our hopes have risen to a great extent as in recent years we have seen significant forward movement on this issue”, Rio said.
The Naga political groups have been in ceasefire with the government of India for a long time and the peace talks over the years have made significant progress. It has been possible to understand each other's position and reach a broad consensus on most of the issues. The Naga people sincerely appreciate the Government of India for recognising the unique history and position of the Naga people and for acknowledging the problem as a political issue, he added.
The chief minister also mentioned the Parliamentary Committee on Naga political issues and the Core Committee that was formed recently to give impetus to the peace talks and help arrive at the final solution at the earliest.
‘The Core Committee has appealed to the negotiating parties to move forward with a positive approach of mutual respect and set aside pre-conditions in the greater interest of the people's cry for long-term peace. Further, it appealed to all Naga political groups to make serious efforts towards unity and reconciliation,’ Rio said.
The chief minister added that by listening to the voice of people, all the elected members of the 13th NLA had come together, irrespective of party affiliations, on the Naga political issue and common peoples' issues. The members in the recently concluded session of state assembly had unanimously passed a resolution appealing to the negotiating parties on the same lines as resolved by the Core Committee.
Border issue with Assam: Involve local communities
‘Nagaland has a long standing inter- state border dispute with Assam. There were some recent tense situations along the Assam border. The state government has taken proactive steps along with the Assam government to de-escalate the situation. A Select Committee of the House has also been constituted to examine all aspects of the Assam- Nagaland border issue. The border issue should be settled amicably by the two state governments, by involving the local communities from both sides,’ he added.
‘Even as the nation joins together to celebrate 75th year of freedom, it is most appropriate to congratulate the Indian contingent at the recently concluded Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for remarkable performance. Every member of the Indian team performed exceptionally well’, he lauded and expressed hope that Indian sports was now on the rise.
On celebrating India’s 75 years of freedom, Rio said that since its birth, India has been moving ahead with determination in every domain and today, it has come to secure its place amongst the most important and influential nations in the world despite all challenges.
‘Today, as one looks around, one cannot but marvel at the tremendous progress that India has made as a nation. The nation has made a marked improvement in the quality of life of people, while always remaining steadfast to the ideals of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity’.
Rio went on to add that India is a respectable and contributing nation towards the cause of humanity amongst the comity of nations.
‘As the world's largest democratic nation, India continues to make valuable contributions towards the progress of humanity and for the cause of freedom on an international scale,’ he added.