Naga Political Issue: Shah meets elected Naga leaders

September 13, 2022 34 Views No Comment

New Delhi, September 13 (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday met a wide spectrum of political leaders of Naga groups here and made it clear that the endeavour of the Modi government is to have a peaceful and prosperous Northeast.

After the meeting, a home ministry spokesperson said efforts of the central government have been to resolve many complicated issues that came up during the ongoing talks with Naga groups like NSCN-IM in such a way that there is all round satisfaction at the conclusion of the parleys, but cautioned against any kind of speculation about the negotiations.

The home minister met with a wide spectrum of the political leadership of Naga groups, led by Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio, in New Delhi where many issues were discussed at the meeting, the spokesperson tweeted.

Talks over the Naga issues have been in progress for a number of years and it has always been the endeavour of the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have a peaceful and prosperous Northeast, the spokesperson said.

Since negotiations are still ongoing, any report on possible solutions to various issues during the negotiations would only be speculative, the spokesperson said.

The government of India had signed a framework agreement with the major Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015 in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a permanent solution.

The framework agreement came after over 80 rounds of negotiations spanning 18 years, with the first breakthrough made in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was sealed after decades of insurgency in Nagaland, which started soon after India’s Independence in 1947.

However, the talks with the NSCN-IM is currently going nowhere as the group has been insisting for a separate Naga flag and constitution, a demand rejected by the central government.

Separately, the government is also holding peace parleys with splinter groups of the NSCN after entering into ceasefire agreements.

The groups which have entered into ceasefire agreements are: NSCN-NK, NSCN-R, NSCN K-Khango and NSCN (K) Niki.

Centre asks State Govt to ‘convince’ NSCN (IM)
Meanwhile, the PTI, citing state Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Neiba Kronu, reported that the Centre has asked the all-party Nagaland government to convince NSCN-IM to ink the final solution to the protracted Naga political issue (NPI).

The message was conveyed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to an 11-member delegation of Nagaland government’s Core Committee on NPI, during a meeting in Delhi on Monday, Kronu, who was among the delegates, told PTI over phone.

Kronu, who also the holds the planning and coordination and land revenue portfolios, said the team submitted the July 16 resolution of the Core Committee and asked Shah to re-visit the contentious issues and bring a solution to the issue.

It also reminded Shah of BJP’s ‘Election for Solution’ slogan in the 2018 state election and urged him to work for a conclusion to the Naga issue ahead of the polls due early next year.

The delegation, he said, stressed on a provision in the resolution which laid emphasis on the negotiating parties arriving at a “mutually acceptable definition of competencies” to resolve the contentious issue at the earliest and bring about an “honourable, acceptable and inclusive” final solution.

As the talks had been officially concluded on October 31, 2019, Modi and Shah were urged upon by the Core Committee to invite the NSCN (IM) leaders for an early conclusion, he said.

The delegates had reportedly met Centre’s interlocutor of the Naga peace talks, A K Mishra on Thursday but details of it was not known as yet.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/naga-political-issue-shah-meets-elected-naga-leaders