Kohima, September 11 (MExN): Ahead of a crucial consultation called by the Government of Nagaland on September 12, The Naga Rising has issued an appeal urging the gathering to "move beyond the practice of passing resolutions and instead frame a collective response that presents a clear plan of action."
The consultation, which will bring together representatives from various organizations across Nagaland, is being viewed as an opportunity to breathe new life into the long-stalled peace talks. The Naga Rising expressed optimism that the "collective wisdom generated from this meeting will show us the path to move forward."
In their statement, The Naga Rising reiterated several key points they have previously raised, including at the last public consultation held by the Nagaland government on March 8, 2022. They emphasized their support for "early resolution as desired by the Naga masses" and underscored that the solution "must be honourable as repeatedly assured by the Government of India (GoI) to the Naga public since peace talks began 25 years ago."
The Naga Rising further called for a negotiation process based on mutual understanding, stressing that any agreement "must be mutually acceptable to both the GoI and the Naga Political Groups (NPGs) and it cannot be imposed." They also reaffirmed their support for the assertion made by a former interlocutor that "there is only one peace process, which is inclusive and that eventually there will be only one agreement as we cannot fragment the Naga issue." In light of the current deadlock in the peace talks, The Naga Rising proposed a mechanism to help facilitate progress. They advocated for the NPGs to "take a common position/approach on the peace process leaving aside their intractable differences."
The group urged the participants of the upcoming consultation to seriously consider the formation of a People’s Platform, which would include "representatives from all sections of Naga society with the mandate to mediate and take forward the peace initiative towards the signing of a single agreement."
The appeal, issued in the public interest on September 11, calls on the gathering to reflect on this proposal as a way to finally bring about an inclusive and honourable resolution to the decades-long Naga issue.
