"Development won't be allowed to suffer due to violence"

Developmental aspects of the Northeast region will not be allowed to suffer because of violence, Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh has asserted.
"We are not here for violence. The Government of India desires peace and look forward to an era of development," Jitendra told a press conference at Chumukedima in Dimapur district yesterday.
All groups of people should live with amity and co-exist with the common objectives of enabling the region to grow at par with other parts of the country, he said.
The DoNER Minister was in Dimapur to assess the situation from civil societies following the June 4 ambush on the security forces.

He said any incident which tend to hinder peace in the region will also affect developmental works in Nagaland.
Everybody must realise that in order to obtain the maximum benefit of the developmental task that the Centre has envisaged for the northeast, "we should have an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity," he said.

The Centre looks at the cause of northeast with an open mind and utmost sincerity, he said.
On the Army crossing border into Myanmar to raid the hideouts of militants, he said, "It certainly does not form any precedence and therefore there is no reason for any apprehension, misgiving or panic of any sort.

"Sometimes we have to understand that disrupters of peace have to be checked to maintain peace," he added.
Interlocutor of Naga peace process, R N Ravi, who accompanied the minister, said the general concern of the Naga civil societies as voiced at the meeting with the minister was that there was no place for violence in Naga society.
On the ongoing peace talks with the NSCN(IM), Ravi said all the other Naga groups will be taken on board at an appropriate time.
"We (the Centre) have made our position very clear that the final solution will never take place without taking other Naga underground groups or the civil societies on board," he added.