Dimapur August 3 (MExN): Veteran politician and a former Minister of Nagaland TA Ngullie commenting on the installation of RN Ravi as the Governor of Nagaland held that the latter’s innings as Governor and Interlocutor would bode well for the Indo-Naga political talks.
In a statement to the media issued on August 3, Ngullie stated that Ravi, with his vast knowledge, professional background, familiarity with the Nagas and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trust came to the state with the sole objective to help find a “final political settlement between India and the Nagas after more than two decades of peaceful Political negotiations.”
In the midst of this, he said that there are certain “unwanted rumours” vis-à-vis “Nagas of Nagaland, who had settled in the present State of Nagaland prior to 1963 has a right to be within Nagaland excluding the Nagas outside Nagaland State.”
“If anybody thinks on that line, that is, only for Nagas of Nagaland State, then it is completely wrong and it is not acceptable,” he stated.
Recalling the drafting of the 16-Point Agreement, he said that when it was being drafted “there was lots of discussions amongst the Naga leaders as to why other Nagas such as Nagas of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagas of Assam, Manipur, Nagas of Myanmar, including Mikhir, now known as Karbis,” should also be included in Nagaland state.
According to him, the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru did not favour it and reportedly told the Naga delegation that “this will be a long process and it will take time,” while calling for it to be discussed in later years.
Solving the “Naga underground problem” of the time by carving out a Nagaland state was reportedly the priority," as per Ngullie's statement .
“Now, whether the Indo-Naga political Settlement will take place within this year or not “is anxiously awaited by all sections of the Nagas. If at all settlement takes place then it should be based on 1963 agreement but should be inclusive of all the Nagas as a Nation,” he stated.
