Nagaland MLAs, MPs to pressure Centre for early solution on Naga issue

The legislators and parliamentarians of Nagaland decided to work towards bringing the Naga political negotiators together and pressure the Centre for an early solution of the vexed issue.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on NPI of the state government held at the State Banquet Hall in Kohima on Monday.

The Parliamentary Committee on NPI comprises all the legislators of the 60-member Nagaland Assembly and the two MPs from the state. It was constituted on June 10 with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio as its convenor, Deputy CM Y Patton and Opposition Leader TR Zeliang as co-conveners to resolve the Naga political issue.

Read | Nagaland: NSCN-IM calls for business shut down on August 3 to protest delay for final pact

State minister Neiba Kronu said that Lok Sabha MP Tokheho Yepthomi could not attend the meeting because of the Parliament session.

Along with the chief minister, deputy CM and opposition leader, Rajya Sabha MP KG Kenye and the MLAs shared their views on the issue at the meeting, he said,

The July 9 resolution of the Core Committee of the Parliamentary Committee was also discussed at the meeting, Kronu said.

The matter would be further deliberated in the assembly before a resolution on the issue is adopted by the House, he said.

Everybody is of the opinion that time is running out, he said.

"We want to bring the Naga negotiating parties together for one solution and one agreement and also strongly pressure the Centre for an early solution," he said.

Asked whether the Core Committee could be holding deliberations with the Naga civil society organisations, Kronu said it is yet to hold any official meeting but even the Naga civil societies are of the same opinion that the negotiating parties should come together and talk to the Centre as one for an early solution.

Maintaining that the Core Committee will approach the Centre only after the two Naga negotiating groups sit across the table, he said the state legislators met the central leaders earlier as well and their response has always been to bring them together.

Meanwhile, the NSCN(IM) is holding a 12-hour shutdown, which started at midnight, protesting the Centre's silence over the issue for six years even after signing the Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015.

The NSCN(IM) has been holding negotiations with the Centre since 1997 and signed the Framework Agreement in August 2015, while the Working Committee of seven Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) has also been holding separate parleys since 2017 and inked the 'Agreed Position' in November that year.

The talks were said to have concluded in October 2019. However, the NSCN(IM) is persistent in its demand for a separate flag and constitution, which has not been agreed by the Centre, bringing the process to a standstill.

On the other hand, NNPGs have been saying that it was ready to sign the agreement.