Kohima, February 20 (NEPS): Former DAN Minister and NPF President Dr Shurhozelie has sharply reacted against the recent remarks made by National Security Adviser (NSA) MK Narayanan that the peace talks between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) can move forward only if the group agrees to accept a solution within the broad parameters of the Indian Union.
Terming it as an “irresponsible statement” Narayanan’s remark on the Naga issue, the former DAN Minister, while talking to the press here at his private residence in Ruleizou Colony on Tuesday, said when everyone is aware of the ongoing political parleys between the Naga underground leaders and the Government of India, a responsible person should not declare that any solution can be worked out within the framework of Indian Constitution. “I think it is an irresponsible statement,” he said.
Dr Shurhozelie, who is also NPF’s official Candidate for Northern Angami-II A/C, however explained that for them they had no authority to “talk about the status of the parleys.” He said what is “only wanted is a final settlement between the conflicting parties.”
The NPF chief also refused to accept the statement of Congress Leader I Imkong that the controversial booklet ‘The Bedrock of Naga Society’ is a “closed chapter.” They (Congress) should explicitly explain as to how the publication of the ‘Bedrock of Naga Society’ could be a closed chapter because they had distributed thousands of copies throughout the country, he said.
“If they want to close it, they should explicitly explain on it and apologize for their mistakes for the distorted publication of the history,” he asserted. “But they still own it and at the same time, they are not rejecting it too. So I asked them in my speech in our last NPF convention that a person standing in the witness box of the court cannot close the chapter,” he said.
Dr Shurhozelie also ridiculed the Congress’ statement in their campaigns that it would return to power. He said the Congress would not be coming back. It also has a leadership crisis to “become Opposition Leader in the State,” he said adding, “The only difference is we don’t have leadership crisis.”
