1. The NPF led DAN Government has consistently been urging the negotiating parties of the Indo-Naga political dialogue, especially the Government of India, to expedite the peace process and bring about an early political settlement that is honorable and acceptable to the people. Ever since 2003, the NPF has given the commitment that it is willing to step down and pave way for an alternative/interim arrangement consequent upon any honorable and acceptable political settlement that may come about from the political dialogue
2. In the first place, DAN’s Consultative Committee for Peace (CCP) was formed as part of the DAN Government’s commitment to play the role of active facilitator to the peace process. Subsequently, in the second DAN ministry, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) was instituted to pursue the realisation of permanent peace. Though the State Government is not part of the negotiating process or party to the political dialogue, both the CCP and the PAC tirelessly worked as active facilitators of the peace process.
3. This commitment to pave way has been reiterated several times over the past years by way of official statements and resolutions of the NPF in its General Conventions and in resolutions of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the NPF, including in the election manifesto in 2008. We have conveyed this to the Government of India in black and white in 2009, when the elected Members of the DAN met the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. This political commitment had removed all hurdles for the peace process to reach its logical conclusion and bring lasting peace to the people.
4. This demand for early resolution of the Indo-Naga political problem was further reiterated by the Joint Legislators Forum (JLF), which was formed under the leadership of the Honorable Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. The JLF too met the Government of India and submitted its resolution dated 7th August, 2012, with commitment to pave way by resigning from their position in the event of any political settlement being carried at. The JLF has had several rounds of consultations with all sections of the people, including mass based organisations, tribal hohos, NGOs, church organisations, Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), former elected members, national workers and political parties.
5. The NPF and the JLF has demanded from the Government of India to bring a political settlement that is honorable and acceptable to the people at the earliest, and before conduct of elections to the next House of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly, or at least to make the offer of the political settlement to the Naga people, so that there is a legitimate basis for the process of elections to be differed, and an alternative / interim arrangement put in place in order to usher in a settlement.
6. Despite such sincere efforts and the commitment to make the supreme political sacrifice on the part of the NPF led DAN Government, there seems to be no signs of an immediate offer being made to the Nagas.
7. The JLF in its meeting on 19th July, 2012 made this point clear in resolution number three with the following words, “The JLF appeals to the negotiating parties of the Indo-Naga peace process, especially the Government of India, to expedite the political dialogue, so that an early negotiated settlement, that is honorable and acceptable to the people is arrived at. The JLF puts on record that all sixty Members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly have come together cutting across party lines under a joint forum in the greater interest of Naga society by responding to the cry of the people and have worked collectively in facilitating the peace process. The JLF declares its commitment that all 60 Members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly have resolved to pave way from our present position for any alternative arrangement that may come about from logical conclusion of the ongoing peace process”. This is a commitment to give way if a new arrangement comes about, but the question of resigning before announcement of a logical conclusion of the negotiations does not arise.
8. When the Honorable Speaker convened a meeting of the JLF on 10th December, 2012, at Chumukedima, the Congress Members came out with their suggested resolution that they would resign from their membership of the Assembly before solution. The NPF did not object to the proposal but added that if a decision could be taken that day, we may request the Speaker to convene a one day special session of the assembly for passing the resolution not to participate in any election till solution comes, after consulting with the tribal organisations, the hohos, the church organisations, civil societies and NGOs. To this, the Congress stated that it was unable to support adoption of any resolution without consultation with their party’s high command and requested for some more time. Therefore, the Speaker fixed the next meeting again on 13th December, 2012. Again the Congress boycotted the meeting but demanded a meeting of the JLF with all political parties in Nagaland.
9. As per the request of the Congress, the Honorable Speaker convened a meeting of the JLF with all political parties to be held on 8th January, 2013 at Chumukedima. In the notice dated the 4th January, 2013, he made it clear that “all parties should bring authorisation and endorsement letters in written from their respective high commands/party head office for national parties/ state parties, authorising the party representatives attending the meeting to take any decision on the issue of participation or non-participation of the parties in the next general election to the State Assembly in the event of the Election Commission of India announcing the election programme before solution of the Naga political issue.
10. But the Congress again boycotted the meeting scheduled for 8th January, 2013 without giving any official communiqué or information. They had tried their best to play hide and seek game with the people, but they stand exposed. The real intention of the Congress in their proposed resignation drama is to impose President’s rule upon the Naga people, and to rule the State from the backdoor, and loot the State’s exchequer like they have done in the past. The Congress has made every effort to hijack the agenda of the Naga issue without any sincerity in solving the problem but they have only ended up fooling themselves. They should not take the intelligence of the people for granted by trying to confuse the people.
11. The UPA Government is a Congress led government and the Congress leaders in Nagaland should be the first persons to impress and pressure upon the Centre to expedite the Naga peace process even without resorting to the proposed resignation drama. However, the Congress leaders of Nagaland are only interested in how to grab power through the back door, and they seem to be least interested in bringing about an early political resolution.
12. The NPF is the only political party that has committed in its election manifestos of 2003 and 2008 that it was willing to pave way for any alternative arrangement that may come about from resolution of the Indo-Naga political issue in an honorable and acceptable manner. No other political party, including the Congress, has given such a political commitment to the people.
13. The NPF declares that even today, we are prepared to step down at any time if an honorable and acceptable solution comes about, be it before or immediately after the coming elections. However, we will not allow the evil designs of the Congress to fool the Naga people by talking about a resignation drama just so that they can bring President’s rule and run a government through the back door.
14. The NPF led DAN Government is a popular government that has the mandate and confidence of the people, and we will never run away from our responsibilities, but rather we will continue to respect and uphold the people’s voice and carry out our Constitutional duties and responsibilities. The NPF has been longing for a solution before the elections but the party is fully prepared for facing elections.
(Issued by NPF Press & Media Bureau)
