‘Steps needed for early settlement’

Dimapur, March 24 (MExN): Lending a stern tone of urgency to “bringing out a negotiated political settlement” to the Indo-Naga political issue, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government has seriously called for concrete steps ‘before the next elections.’ The PAC met on March 24 in Kohima and undertook a number of ‘resolutions; concerning the Naga political issue, a communiqué from member secretary of the PAC, Z Lohe, informed today.  

“The PAC expresses the urgency of bringing a negotiated political settlement that is acceptable to the people in order to resolve the Indo-Naga political problem at the earliest and feels the need that steps and measures must be initiated for realization of the settlement before conduct of the next elections to the Nagaland legislative Assembly,” the committee said. 

The PAC has urged the Joint Legislators’ Forum to act “upon the urgent need” for a political solution so that the forum can take up measures that will allow the negotiating parties to expedite the negotiations “that will result in a settlement that is acceptable to the people.” 

The committee said it has been ‘lying low’ for some time ‘in view of formation of the Joint legislators’ forum.’ The committee has appreciated the forum “for its initiatives” and deliberations “which have sent a positive message of unity and oneness to all sections of the people.” 

It may be mentioned that the tenure of the present government will end in early 2013 and before that Nagaland will have to conduct Assembly election. The DAN government’s PAC coming out with such a statement calling for urgency towards a political settlement assumes significance. During the 33rd Republic Day celebration of the NSCN at Camp Hebron, Chairman Isak Chishi Swu had also expressed cautious optimism that solution to the protracted Naga problem “is not far off.” 

Swu had said negotiations between the NSCN (I-M) and Government of India has now entered 15 years and that both parties are determined to work out an acceptable solution based on the unique history and situation of the Nagas and an interdependent relationship. 

NSCN (I-M) General Secretary and the group’s chief negotiator in the Naga peace talks, Th. Muivah, during the same programme had also said that the time has again come for Nagas to take the “right decision” as done by the founding fathers of the Naga National Council (NNC) in the past.  “Now India cannot back track…When India is prepared for solution, it is now time again for Nagas to take the right decision,” he had said.