DIMAPUR, MARCH 9 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Wednesday urged leaders of Naga Political Groups (NPGs) to have more consultations, deliberations and discussions on how best to solve the protracted Naga political problem so that the sacrifices made by generations of Nagas including the present leaders may bear fruit for the future generations to harvest.
“Let your sacrifices bear fruit for our children to reap the benefits. We should not bequeath our children with an unsolved political problem. Nagas have suffered for too long and we must find a solution that is honourable, acceptable to all sections of the society,” Zeliang said while addressing the Consultative Meeting of Nagaland Legislators’ Forum on Naga Political Issue, with NPGs at Police Complex, Chumukedima.
“The more we consult each other and share our views and opinions, the better we understand each other and we need to have more consultations on the issue at hand,” the chief minister maintained, as contained in a press statement issued by Media Cell, CMO.
Pointing out that the Naga political problem is not a factional, tribal or any political party’s problem, Zeliang said it is a problem of all Nagas and therefore, all must come together to find permanent peace.
“This is not the time to point out who is right and who is wrong, but the time to point out what is right and what will be best for our Naga people as a whole,” the chief minister said.
“We, as elected representatives of the people, have sworn allegiance to the Constitution of India and therefore, we cannot take part in the negotiating table. And we have made it very clear to the Government of India (GoI) that we can only facilitate early solution of the problem; we can only suggest, we can only ask that the interests of all are taken into consideration while bringing out a final solution,” the chief minister elaborated.
Zeliang also expressed confidence that the GoI under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sincere and determined to solve the Naga problem and pointed out that the Interlocutor to the Indo-Naga political issue, “RN Ravi enjoyed much more confidence of the prime minister than his predecessors Padmanabhaiah and RS Pandey.”
The chief minister said the Union Home Minister told a delegation of the PWC recently that RN Ravi was entrusted not only to talk to the Naga people but also to solve the Naga problem, and added that “future generations will praise us if we choose wisely and take timely decisions now.”
Ruing that Nagas know only how to criticize each other and not how to protect each other, Zeliang appealed to leaders of the different NPGs to emulate the present Legislative Assembly where all legislators, despite having fiercely fought each other in the last elections, have come together under the umbrella of the NPF “for the sake of early solution to the Naga political problem.”
“We have also made it clear to the Government of India that Naga people do not want piece-meal solution, but a one-time solution that is applicable to all Nagas regardless of where they live,” he said and appealed to all leaders to come together for an early solution to the problem.
Barring the NNC (Adino) group, the meeting was attended by representatives of three NNC groups, the GPRN/NSCN and NSCN Reformation.
