The Nagaland Assembly on Tuesday unanimously appealed to the Centre and the negotiators to resume the Naga peace talks and resolve the contentious issues at the earliest.
The appeal was made as part of the resolution adopted by the 60-member House after a five-hour-long discussion on the first day of the monsoon session.
The matter was initiated by senior minister Neiba Kronu and at least 15 members including Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Leader of the Opposition T R Zeliang took part in the discussion.
In the resolution, the assembly urged the negotiating parties of the Naga political dialogue “to resume the Peace talks with a positive approach and mutual respect for each other by setting aside pre-conditions, in deference to the Naga people’s cry for long term peace, and resolve the contentious issues of the competencies at the earliest”.
Dialogues for a solution to the Naga political issue between the Centre government and Naga negotiating groups have been in progress since 1997 when the NSCN(IM) signed a ceasefire agreement with the government.
The two sides have signed a Framework Agreement in August 2015.
The talks were said to have concluded in October 2019. However, in recent times, uncertainty over some issues such as allowing the NSCN (IM) the right to tax businesses and the inability to make a headway over certain other lingering points has placed the solution process in jeopardy.
The assembly also urged all Naga groups to make serious efforts towards unity and reconciliation.
The members also viewed that constant antagonism among different groups, especially in public space and the media, is sending out a wrong message to the masses considering the fact that they are all pursuing the same aspiration of peace and political solution.
Appreciating the contributions of the churches, civil society organisations, tribal bodies and NGOs towards facilitating peace and strengthening the peace process, the resolution appealed to them to make renewed efforts towards creating a conducive atmosphere for early realisation of a political solution.
This is the 13th resolution on Naga political issue adopted by the state assembly since 1964.
The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Rio and was unanimously adopted by the House.
Earlier, initiating the discussion, Kronu said that the Naga groups may have time but, "for us, elections are nearing and we have to get back to the public and if the issue is not resolved it would hamper the entire system and also affect every one of us”.
Naga People's Front (NPF) MLA Imkong L Imchen said that the talks are almost at a standstill with no party showing any sign of flexibility. Leader of the Opposition T R Zeliang said that 24 years have passed since the ceasefire agreement was signed between the Centre and the NSCN in 1997 while this day (August 3) marks the completion of six years since the Framework Agreement was signed.
Four years have also passed after the Agreed Position was signed between the Centre and the seven-member Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) in November 2017, he said.
These developments have created high hopes among people for permanent peace in Nagaland and it is high time for all Nagas, and particularly the 60 elected members of the assembly, to pursue the matter vigorously for a peaceful settlement.
Concluding the discussion, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said that talks have been concluded October 31, 2019, but there are some contentious issues and some competencies are not being agreed upon.
He also said that when talks have concluded, the central government did not say that Naga flag, integration and constitution will not be given.
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