Naga pol groups asks state govt to leave dialogue to Centre, negotiators

Ahead of the consultative meet on Naga political issue, the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups has asked the government to leave the peace talks to the Centre and the negotiators

Ahead of the state-sponsored consultative meet on Naga political issue, the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC NNPGs) has asked the government to leave the peace talks to the Centre and the negotiators.

The Nagaland government has called all the apex tribal bodies, civil society organizations, women and student organisations, political parties and all the 60 legislators for a consultative meet to deliberate on the crucial Naga political issue at the chief minister's residential office here on Wednesday.

The WC NNPGs appreciated the state government for taking the views of Nagaland tribes, civil societies and non-Naga indigenous communities on issues of importance. Broad exchange of views on matters such as the urban local body (ULB) elections, Armed Forces Special Power's Act (AFSPA), Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, which are also slated to discussed at the meeting are very important, it said in a statement issued Tuesday night.

On the Naga political issue, the WC NNPGs while appreciating the effort of the state government as facilitators is firm that since the Government of India (GoI) and the Naga negotiating groups have concluded the political talks officially as on October 31, 2019, and Naga tribes have accepted the announcement, "All apex tribal bodies of Nagaland, Customary Institutions and Civil Societies have, time and again, demanded the GoI to ink an inclusive Agreement without further delay.

In this view any state sponsored discussion on the Naga political issue outside this parameter would be a misnomer and unqualified, the body said.

The subject of Naga political issue is best left to GoI and Naga negotiators, mandated by the people, to usher in honorable and acceptable political solution at the earliest, it said.

There was no reaction of the state government on the NNPGs statement so far.

WC NNPGs, comprising at least eight Naga underground groups, have been engaged in negotiations with the Centre to find a solution to the decades old Naga political issue since 2017.

It inked the Agreed Position with the Centre on November 17, 2017 and talks were said to have concluded on October 31, 2019.Unlike NSCN(IM), which has been in talks with the Centre since 1997 and signed the Framework Agreement but was adamant on the demand for separate flag and constitution, the WC NNPGs has expressed its willingness to ink the final solution and continue the dialogue post solution.