DIMAPUR, Aug 29: The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) said on Monday that it is badly perturbed by the “thick cloud of uncertainties being cast over the fate of the political negotiations between the Government of India and the two groups of the Naga political negotiators, namely, NSCN-IM and the Working Committee (WC) of 7 NNPGs despite the peace process being in its 25th year”.
In a press statement, the NTC said that, as for the NSCN-IM, the ceasefire was signed with the Government of India in 1997 followed by the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015, it has been in its silver jubilee year as in 2022. “And as for the WC of 7 NNPGs, the negotiation began in October, 2017 and signed the Agreed Position with the Government of India on the November 17, 2017 and now it is in its 5th year. “Against this backdrop, though the Government of India may or may not consider it to be a serious concern, the quarter of a century ‘peace process’ has immense toll on the lives of the citizens in Nagaland,” the NTC added.
However, according to the NTC, during the last five years, the Naga political issue could not come up for discussion in the Parliament. The NTC further said that the elected representatives, particularly from Nagaland in both the Houses of Parliament and in the State Assembly did take little interest to pursue the long cherished solution to the Naga political issue.
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Once again, the NTC drew the attention of the Government of India to the prevailing environment in the State of Nagaland that the “inordinate delay of political solution has become the bane of the miseries of the common man in Nagaland”.
The NTC further said that the general public in Nagaland have been the ultimate victims of the “unabated and multiple illegal taxations, all kinds of suppressive and anti-people activities of the selfish authorities and the armed elements alike under the signed ceasefires during the last 25 years have virtually destroyed everything both in public and private sectors”.
The NTC also said that these elements, both State authorities and armed elements, have taken undue advantages on the ‘gullible’ general public and their facilities with vengeance. Thus, Nagaland was made to be the safest haven for the exploiters in India, it further added.
The NTC said that it is aware that the sole remedial measure for the existing ailment of Nagaland is the Naga political solution. The NTC expressed that it is apprehensive that the consequences of the further delay of solution or the fiasco will be disastrous.
The NTC then observed that both the Government of India and the UDA Government in Nagaland have apathetic and lackadaisical attitude towards sincere conclusion of the peace process “though the official negotiations were completed by October 31, 2019”.
It added, “As a matter of fact, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during his maiden visit to Nagaland on December 1, 2015 made the promise that the Naga political issue would be resolved within 18 months time has gone into oblivion”.
“Whatever the circumstances it may be”, the NTC urged upon the Government of India to resolve the issue at the earliest without inhibition. The NTC then assured that the people are ever ready to have the solution and also ever prepared to handle should there be any consequences. (NNN)
