For fostering friendship and fraternity between the two neighbouring communities, the Naga and Assamese civil societies today advocated for consistent dialogues at various levels to end the distrust, suspicions and the widening gulf between the two states.
The first-ever Naga-Assamese round table talks held here also asserted that while the civil societies should strive for enhancing people-to-people contact, both Assam and Nagaland governments and the Centre must seriously pursue the vexed issues that involve the two states for their amicable resolutions.
In a bid to begin a much needed dialogue process between the two neighbours, the day-long deliberation organised by the Nanda Talukdar Foundation (NTF) Guwahati, was attended by delegates from both sides who expressed serious concern over accumulated mistrust, animosity and mindsets conditioned through myths.
Both sides agreed that there should be some institutionalised mechanism from civil societies for effective interventions whenever some unwarranted incidents occurred in inter-state border areas and de-escalate tensions arising out from even a small incident.
The Naga delegation led by noted social worker and peace crusader Niketu Iralu comprised apex tribal council Naga Hoho's president Chuba Ozukum, Naga Mothers' Association's adviser Prof Rosemary Dzuvichu, Naga Students' Federation (NSF) president Subenthang Kikon.
Assam was represented by noted academic Prof Udayan Misra, Asom Sahitya Sabha president Dhrubajyoti Bora, All Assam Students Union Chief Adviser Samujjwal Bhattacharya, Purbanchaliya Tai Sahitya Sabha president Dayananda Borgohain, former Upper Assam Commissioner Sayad Iftikhar Hussein, among others.
The meeting, presided over by Editor of Asomiya Pratidin and NTF president Nitya Bora, was also attended by academics, senior journalists, columnists and social workers as invitees.
