The two main political parties in Nagaland, the ruling NPF and the Nagaland Congress needs to come together over the Naga political issue. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has already publicly endorsed this thinking and his open invitation to the Nagaland Congress is welcomed. It is another matter that the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) continues to remain silent on this issue despite the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Leader Chingwang Konyak also speaking in favour of taking a bi-partisan approach to deal with the Naga issue. While the need to uphold debate within a given political space is not being belittled, what is required of both the NPF and NPCC is to keep at least the Naga issue above politics. It will be extremely unwise and at the same time unfortunate if both parties play to the gallery or use the Naga issue to score brownie political points.
In fact when the decision to dissolve the DAN Sub-Committee for Peace was taken a few years ago—to facilitate the formation of a Joint Legislators’ Committee for Peace—the move was welcomed because excluding the Opposition Congress Party from having any say in the peace and reconciliation process was in the very first place, a fundamentally flawed notion of addressing the issue itself. It has been the constant endeavor of this column to push the case for having a joint forum with members drawn in from all political parties and representing all shades of opinion. The simple logic is to involve all political parties especially the NPF and NPCC without sidestepping anybody. Only then can a collective decision be expected in which both would have a stake in it and hence remain accountable to the process itself. Unless there is wide-ranging support cutting across party lines agreement or decision will face a legitimacy crisis.
A complete polarization of the Naga political society has now engulfed the political landscape in Nagaland and beyond. To further add to this woe, fissures are along tribal and party lines which is only accentuating the problem further. At this juncture, good sense and wisdom is required of our leaders. With the decision of the Chief Minister openly calling for rising above party politics over the issue, the response from the Opposition Congress Party will be keenly watched over the next few days and weeks. All the political parties will have to abandon rigid stands or claims and instead work collectively by submitting their political interests for the overall objective of bringing about peace among the Nagas.
One of the problem of having a party system means that there is hardly any place for reason and the political space will be cornered by those who will agree to disagree just for the sake of sticking to their pretentious convictions. Politics without reason will turn out to be a dangerous game. The choice for both the NPF and Congress is clear. They should realize that they have no legitimate right to ask the Underground groups to reconcile when it is clearly evident that they themselves are unable to come together. A joint Legislators Forum is long overdue. Both the NPF and the Congress should close rank on this if at all they are serious about peace and unity. Both should approach the Naga political issue from an apolitical position minus electoral politics.
