Modi a bold and decisive leader: Dr. Jamir

DIMAPUR/NEW DELHI, NOV 8 (NPN/IANS) : Pioneer of Nagaland politics since the 50s, Dr. S.C. Jamir who was awarded with the nation’s third highest civilian award– Padma Bhushan– has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with having come to understand the complexity of the Naga issue and also aware of the various factors that are hindering eventual agreement.

Talking to IANS in New Delhi Monday, Dr. Jamir said Modi “also knows the positive aspect of the entire process”. About Modi’s style of functioning and decision making, Jamir said the Prime Minister has the guts and is decisive. He said this was Modi’s good quality that stood him apart from past Prime Ministers.

Dr. Jamir had met the Prime Minister on November 6 (Saturday) at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence, where both deliberated on the Naga political issue. Jamir’s meeting with the Prime Minister was followed the next day when, top officials of the Intelligence Bureau visited Dr Jamir where they discussed the Naga political issue at length.

With negotiations lasting a little over 24 years yet impending solution still awaited, Dr. Jamir said the stalled process needed to be accelerated. He maintained that the Central government should have the political will to end insurgency.

Dr. Jamir whose speeches since 1990 were consistent with his stand that Naga political issue can be resolved only through dialogue and not guns, said he had been “telling the Prime Minister about the realities of the situation (Naga issue)”.

Dr. Jamir also said he has been pressing for expediting the process for early solution, asking “how long can we go on negotiating?”

The veteran politician lauded the signing of the Framework Agreement (on August 3, 2015) and the Agreed Position (on November 17, 2017) with the Naga groups.

In particular, Jamir said he was happy to note that the Prime Minister, in his speech on August 3, 2015 welcomed the decision of “the underground to join the mainstream of Indian polity”. Jamir said that was a good sign and a reason why the government of India and the prime minister described the Agreement as “historic”.

He said Naga people have been waiting for too long and that there was also a limit to everything. According to Jamir, a decision should be made while there is huge enthusiasm. He compared it to eating and relishing a curry while it was hot.

On the other hand, he said no one will eat a curry which has grown cold or stale. In the same manner, Jamir said before the curry, prepared by the prime minister, becomes cold, it should be shared by all those entitled.

Dr. Jamir is the only surviving member of the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) which negotiated the 16-Point Agreement with the government of India, that formed the basis for the creation of Nagaland as the 16th state of the Indian Union.

Dr. Jamir among 16 get Padma Bushan
NEW DELHI, NOV 8 (PTI): President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday presented the Padma Bhushan award, India’s third highest civilian award, to veteran politician and former governor and former chief minister, Dr S.C. Jamir at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

Dr. Jamir is the first ever Naga politician to receive the award which was conferred on the 71st Republic Day, 2020 for his exceptional and distinguished service in the field of public affairs.

There were two Padma awards ceremonies for the years 2020 and 2021 held in the morning and evening. Among the awards given away were seven Padma Vibhushan, 16 Padma Bhushan and 122 Padma Shri awards for the years 2020 and 2021.

Former union ministers George Fernandes, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj and former President of Mauritius Anerood Jugnauth were conferred the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for their exceptional and distinguished service in two civil investiture ceremonies held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar (posthumous), Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, chairman of Sundaram-Clayton Group, Venu Srinivasan and MC Mary Kom were also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan.

Badminton star P V Sindhu, Kashmiri political leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Tsering Landol, the first gynaecologist from Leh, bilingual author Manoj Das (posthumous), Krishnammal Jagannathan, a social activist from Tamil Nadu, were also among those honoured with the Padma Bhushan by President Ram Nath Kovind in the presence of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah among others.

Bollywood star Kangna Ranaut, film producer Karan Johar, television and film producer Ekta Kapoor, senior Professor at PGIMER, Chandigarh, Digambar Behera, internationally renowned Indian classical dance exponent Indira P P Bora were among those conferred the Padma Shri.
President Kovind also presented Padma Shri to Harekala Hajabba, an orange vendor in Mangalore who saved money to build a school in his village and Mohammad Shareef, a cycle mechanic turned social worker who performed last rites of unclaimed dead bodies with full dignity.
Abdul Jabbar Khan (posthumous) from Bhopal, who was known for his fight for justice for victims of Bhopal gas tragedy, was also awarded Padma Shri.

Padma Shri was given to Leela Josho, a gynaecologist known as Mother Teresa of Ratlam, for her contribution of more than two decades to reduce maternal mortality in tribal, rural and urban slums of in Madhya Pradesh and Tulsi Gowda, an environmentalist from Karnataka who has planted more than 30,000 saplings and has been involved in environmental conservation activities for the past six decades.

President Kovind presented Padma Vibhushan to Jugnauth (posthumous), who had “immensely contributed in deepening the special relations between Mauritius and India”.

Padma Shri award was also given to renowned litterateur of Santali language Damayanti Beshra, television and film actress Sarita Joshi, music composer Adnan Sami Khan.

Captain of the Indian hockey team Rani Rampal and leading Indian epidemiologist Raman Gangakhedkar were also among those who received the Padma Shri.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/modi-a-bold-and-decisive-leader-dr-jamir/244158.html