The NPF-led DAN Government was questioned by the Opposition Congress on the unresolved Naga political issue vis-à-vis its stand as the facilitator and status of the ongoing dialogue between the Government of India (GoI) and the NSCN (IM).
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, giving his views on the Naga political issue, asserted that the DAN Government is very clear in its political approach. To justify his stand, Rio said during the last three elections the NPF maintained consistency on the issue in its election manifesto. He assured the House that the NPF-led DAN will continue to play the role of active facilitator.
“The present situation is much more peaceful and so we can say the talks are moving in the right direction”, he claimed. Quoting the underground groups, Rio informed the House they have submitted their demands to the GoI which has even been acknowledged by the Interlocutor.
“So the ball is now in the court of the GoI and it is time for GoI to offer (solution) to the Nagas and Nagas should come together to accept or reject it,” he said. He also clarified on the stand of the JLF and said if all the 60 members had resigned before the elections, the Centre would have imposed President’s rule in the State. Nonetheless, Rio asserted that the DAN policy on the Naga political issue is accepted by the masses because of which the NPF-led DAN has come back to power with a thumping majority for the third consecutive term.
Earlier, replying to Congress MLA S Hukavi Zhimomi’s query in the ongoing Nagaland Assembly, Home Minister Kaito Aye said the State Government is not in a position to know the present status of the ongoing dialogue as it is not a party to the negotiations and the dialogue between the two parties.
However, Aye reiterated that the State Government is sincere in its commitment to pave way for any alternative arrangement that is arrived at through a negotiated solution that is honourable and acceptable to the people. He further reiterated that the State Government is supporting the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) to bring together all the Naga underground groups and also discussed the issue with the underground groups.
Appealing to the Naga people to come together for the common cause, he suggested that the 60 members of the House also should put in sincere efforts and if necessary once again come up with the Joint Legislators’ Forum (JLF). The JLF should pressurise the Centre for a solution and Naga nationalists to take up the issue together, he stated.
Raising a supplementary, senior CLP leader Tokheho Yepthomi said the Naga political problem is the most important issue confronting the Naga society because of which all the political parties in the State have been going to elections giving resolution of the issue as the priority agenda. He also questioned how far in the ‘right direction’ has the talks moved as was informed to the House by Leader of the House Neiphiu Rio in 2006 and also the stand of the government on its ‘equi-closeness’ policy with the Naga groups besides facilitator of the Naga political process.
Stating that the Naga people have already rejected the solution offered by the GoI in 1966 and 1975, he said the words ‘honourable and acceptable solution’ should not be used anymore as Naga people do not want anything less than ‘sovereignty’. MLA Hukavi Zhimomi said just before the elections, the legislators gave hope to the people through the JLF with the slogan ‘no election but solution’. However, it did not materialise as elections were held and no progress made in this direction, he stated.