Kohima, June 30 (MExN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Tuesday said Nagaland Governor and Interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks, RN Ravi’s recent letter to State’s Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio revealed the GOI’s “arrogant attitude and insincere approach” to settle the Naga issue.
In a statement issued on June 30 by its Media Cell, the NSF claimed that the letter has revealed the Government of India’s (GOI) “unwillingness” to solve the Naga issue and put the Naga movement “in bad light.”
The Federation also termed it as an attempt by the “appointed symbolic head of the state to overthrow and overpower a democratically elected government.”
Maintaining that it represents the aspirations of the Naga students and youths spread across four states and two countries, the NSF asserted that it would not remain “blind and mute” to attempts by individuals to belittle and disregard “our internationally recognised movement” and condemned the “disrespectful attitude” of the Governor towards Naga freedom fighters.
“The usage of the terminologies like ‘Gangsters’, ‘extortionists’ etc. by the GOI appointed Interlocutor only seeks to undo whatever has been achieved through the blood, sweat and tears of his predecessors,” the statement read.
The Federation said it has lost all hopes of an honourable and acceptable solution to the Naga issue “as long as someone with such minimal understanding of the issue and disrespectful attitude is at helm from the Indian side.”
It also alleged that the present Governor himself has been responsible for the many hiccups in the peace process in his attempts to “earn some personal brownie points”.
In this regard, the NSF further demanded that he come out in the open and tell the Naga public as to whom he is referring to as “gangsters” and “extortionists” in his letter.
“If it as such then, it is a matter of shame that, the mighty India has appointed retired top-cop to sit down on the same negotiating table with Gangsters and Extortionists,” the statement read.
The NSF sought to remind the Governor that the GOI has officially recognized the Naga issue as a political issue and “attempt to downgrade it to a State Law and Order problem will prove futile.”
It is time that he takes his role as an Interlocutor seriously or call it quit altogether for even with or without him, the aspiration of the Naga people shall continue to thrive, it asserted.
.JPG)
