HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, March 16: The Rising People’s Party (NPP) on Sunday proposed that the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) lead the Naga peace talks as the Naga Political Groups (NPGs) had their chance to settle the Naga issue.
In a joint statement, RPP president Joel Naga, general secretary Amai Chingkhu and Rising Youth president Zhokhoi Chuzho said as it is ridiculous to imagine, as of now, that the government of India will conclude any meaningful agreement with the NPGs.
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The RPP added that the only tangible result of 28 years of peace talks is that the Naga political issue has been reduced to a law and order situation.
“This stalemate and the mushrooming of factions, presently 28, cannot go on indefinitely,” it stressed.
The RPP said its proposal is bound to create controversy, but a generational shift in outlook and policy making is required for lasting peace to hold.
The party also said the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-led government in Nagaland added confusion by styling itself as ‘facilitator’ in the peace talks even though both the government of India and the various NPGs are not even acutely aware of their ‘facilitating’ activities.
“Its meaningless role as ‘facilitator’ should be bygone and the 14th NLA should undertake the serious task of negotiating with the central government on the issue of political settlement in the state,” the party said.
Stating that the NLA is the mandated body of the people, the RPP said it is only natural and logical that the state assembly empower itself to negotiate a settlement as per the points highlighted in the “Framework Agreement” and the “Agreed Position.”
The party further said the present negotiators should allow the NLA the opportunity to convince the government of India.
It also reasoned that the NLA-led peace talks are also to thwart the accusation raised from various quarters that the NDPP-led government is actually impeding solution despite its public grandstanding.
“This is a pressing matter unlike the slogan ‘opposition-less government’ which is basically a byword for money laundering,” the RPP added.
