Nagaland Governor calls for swift move towards final solution to Naga political issue

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 12 (EMN): Governor of Nagaland, RN Ravi on Friday said the negotiations between the government of India and the Naga political groups have concluded and expressed the “need for efforts to build on the substantial gains made so far, and to move swiftly for the final solution”.

He was addressing the 7th session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) on the first day.

He maintained that early resolution of the long-drawn-out Naga political issue continued to remain the focus of the government even while fighting the Covid-19 pandemic over the past many months.

Ravi, who is also the government of India’s interlocutor for Naga-peace talks, termed last year’s October 15 consultative meeting at Kohima that was attended by Tribal Hohos, civil society organisations, political parties and representatives of various other sections of the society on the Naga political issue as ‘historic’.

Recalling the ‘detailed discussion’, he said the meeting reiterated that “there will be only one solution to the Naga political issue” and a ‘seven-point resolution’ was unanimously adopted.

He also termed the joint statement issued by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and leader of opposition TR Zeliang on December 18 last year, in which they “welcomed the positive approach of the government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah towards expediting the ongoing peace talks”, as ‘another significant step towards further facilitating the peace process’.

Law and order situation largely peaceful

Ravi stated that the general law and order situation in the state has remained largely peaceful though there were some localised incidents which were “contained with swiftness by the district administration and police”.

Maintaining that government continues to strengthen Nagaland Police, he said a Woman Police Station has been established at Kiphire, and one more will be set up in the youngest district, Noklak, to cover all the 12 districts of the state.

He said that in order to improve technical capacities to fight cyber crime, the government has made a Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children Lab cum Training Centre (CCPWC) operational. Besides Cyber Cells that have been set up in all the districts and in the state police to investigate cyber crime, Anti-Extortion Cells have also been set up in all the districts to tackle the menace of extortion and curb instances of illegal taxation. It was informed that Anti-Extortion Cells work in close co-ordination with other law enforcement and security agencies to contain illegal activities.

He went on to laud Nagaland Police, saying that it “played an exceptional role,in enforcing standard operating procedure (SOPs) and transporting essential goods, in the fight against Covid-19”.