Dimapur, August 31 (MExN): The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has endorsed the appeal made by the People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) on August 20, requesting the Naga People’s Front (NPF) to reconsider its withdrawal from the Joint Legislators Forum on the Naga political issue.
“This is a time for our society to be coming together to strengthen not just the negotiating parties but to empower ourselves with unity...the leaders of all sections of the Nagas must set aside our differences and rise above respective affiliations in the greater interest of our people,” the NDPP, Media & Communication Committee said in a statement on August 31.
Earlier on August 18, the opposition NPF Legislature Party had announced its decision to withdraw from the Forum citing “huge trust deficit” and said “JLF on Naga political issue has become a mere Forum without any tangible road-map to the Naga political issue on its part.” Subsequently, the Working Committee of the NPF party also endorsed the withdrawal following a meeting at the party headquarters on August 26.
The NDPP termed the withdrawal as an unfortunate and “shocking political development,” considering the fact that the Government of India led by the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister “have taken proactive steps to resume the Indo-Naga political dialogue in right earnest.”
The resumption of the peace talks has been welcomed by all sections and there is a fervent call for unity, understanding and oneness, it said.
Further stating that the party would not “engage in one-upmanship” and reply to the allegation made against the Chief Minister and the PDA with regard to the JLF, the NDPP appealed the opposition to reconsider the decision to withdraw from the forum.
“Let us all work together in the spirit of one Naga family and let us leave no stone unturned in our collective endeavour to bring lasting peace and progress,” it added.
The NDPP also appealed to mass based civil societies, tribal hohos, NGOs, churches, political parties and all sections to make renewed efforts towards unity and work towards facilitation of a congenial environment that is conducive for the political solution.
