Kohima, February 26 (MExN): Naga Hoho and the NSF are boycotting scheduled meetings with Government of India (GoI) Interlocutor to the Indo-Naga peace talks, RN Ravi, on February 26 and 27 questioning the political will and intent of the GoI in prolonging the Indo-Naga peace talks without any solution in sight.
“Despite all reservations on the Indian political leadership and the role of Bureaucracy over the sensitive and genuine cause of the Naga political issues, Naga people had confidence in the BJP leadership ever since AB Vajpayee took over the reign to bring honourable and acceptable solution to the protracted Indo-Naga political problem,” reminisced Naga Hoho in press statement today.
Consequent upon Narendra Modi becoming Prime Minister of India, “he has given assurance to the Naga people to bring political settlement within eighteen months which is now running sixty months without finding amicable solution.”
The Naga civil bodies, Tribe Hohos, NNPGs and political parties in Nagaland, the Hoho reminded, had resolved to choose solution before the last State general elections. “On the contrary, the BJP led Government in the centre have declared the slogan ‘Election for solution’ through Ram Madhav.”
“Naga people’s memory is not very short in regards to the writings of RN Ravi in the past as IB Director and therefore the Naga Hoho refused to accept him as the new Interlocutor on behalf of GoI. However, we were convinced after meeting him in Nagaland in 2014 for the first time that RN Ravi would be sincere towards Indo-Naga political issues. In course of our series of discussion during the last five years, he stated time and again that – there is one Naga problem and so also one comprehensive political solution; the talk was in advance stage; all the points have been covered and agreed in principle,” the Hoho recalled.
While the BJP has said recently that Naga solution will be finalized only after the Lok Sabha election, an “absolute contradiction” to the Prime Minister’s commitment, “the BJP’s Governor of Nagaland PB Acharya has been claiming every now and then that the political dialogue was in advanced stage and further said in March, 2018 that Naga political settlement will be brought within six months is a complete farce. If this is truly the present status of political dialogues and commitment of the centre, why India is still unable to sign the Agreement?” questioned the Naga Hoho.
In view of this, the Naga Hoho boycotted the scheduled meeting with RN Ravi, convened by the Nagaland State Government, in Kohima to “show our resentment to the GoI for their insincerity and lack of political will towards solving Indo-Naga political problem.”
“All Naga Frontal organizations under Naga Hoho are expected to follow the steps taken by Naga Hoho at this decisive moment,” it stated.
Solution in interest of India too
“With the present Government taking over under the Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi and appointment of RN Ravi as the GoI Interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks, the initial stages of the peace process was overwhelmingly acknowledged by both Nagas and Indians, anticipating that it will usher in a new ray of hope for both Indian and Nagas and on several occasions hopes of the Nagas were raised high by the ways in which agreements, announcements and declarations were made by eminent Indian leaders of bringing about a logical conclusion to the protracted Indo-Naga Political issue, however till date nothing worthy has been achieved or arrived upon and it clearly appears to be only ‘Lip Services’ rendered by the GoI and the Indo-Naga Peace Process vis-à-vis Political Dialogue is being intentionally prolonged,” stated the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) in a press release from its President, Kesosul Christopher Ltu and General Secretary, Imtiyapang Imsong.
Resolving the issue, they noted, will “not be in the interest of the Naga people alone but will also equally be in the larger interest of India.”
Taking “serious account of the insincerity” of the GoI, the NSF decided not to attend the ‘consultative meeting’ convened by RN Ravi on February 26 and 27.
