Centre buying time, not ready for honourable solution of Naga issue: Tribal body

An apex tribal organisation in Nagaland today expressed anguish over the delay in resolution of the Naga political issue and accused the Centre of trying to "buy time" citing conflict of interest among the stakeholders.

The Naga Hoho alleged the Centre is not prepared for an "honourable political solution".

In a statement issued on the completion of three years since the signing of the Naga Framework Agreement between the NSCN(IM) and the Centre, the tribal body asked the political negotiators to rethink their stance on the issue.

"We are also fully convinced that enough negotiations and agreements have taken place between the Naga negotiators and the interlocutors of the Centre. We are running behind time. Once and for all, a decision should be made keeping the best interests of Nagas in mind," it said.

The NSCN (IM), which announced a ceasefire in 1997, has been demanding Nagalim, a state comprising Nagaland and Naga-inhabited pockets in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

The hopes of Nagas have been dashed as three years have passed since the signing of Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015, but the issue still hangs in balance, the statement said.

"As government agencies have been claiming that the peace deal is at an advanced stage, we thought the final agreement would be signed during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. However, we are also fretting over the fact that the issue may just vanish into thin air," it said.

Earlier this year, the Centre had said a solution to the Naga conflict was just a matter of time.

Dubbing the government's attitude "uncompromising", the tribal body said the Naga people will not expect any political solution if the talks stretch beyond September as the parliamentary elections are due next year.