After Rajnath meet, Rio rules out idea of greater Nagaland

June 14, 2018 189 Views No Comment

THE ASIAN AGE | MANOJ ANAND

After a meeting with Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday said that physical integration of Naga inhabited areas of Northeast was not possible.

Mr Rio, who met Union home minister in New Delhi, said, “Though demand for integration of Naga inhabited areas of northeastern states was genuine, it was not possible to integrate it practically.”

In what has set the demand of greater Nagaland to rest, the Nagaland chief minister clarified that Naga inhabited areas are spread over different states of northeast and at this juncture, it doesn’t not look practically possible to integrate the areas.

He, however, reiterated that greater Nagaland was a genuine demand of the people.

Pointing out that people of Nagaland desires for an early solution to the Naga political issues, he however admitted that it was not possible to set any deadline for the signing of the peace agreement.

The meeting of Nagaland chief minister with union home minister Rajnath Singh was significant as it has come a day after the working committee of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) decided to resume talks with the Centre. The NNPGs, while acknowledging the appeal of the apex Naga tribal bodies and gaon burhas (village head) of Nagaland, decided to continue the dialogue in the greater interest of the Nagas.

In a press release issued at Kohima, the NNPGs stated that working committee has decided to begin the next round of talks in New Delhi.

The NNPGs on June 3 had decided to suspend all negotiations with the Government of India in protest against the raid carried out by the Assam Rifles at the residence of its co-convener and general secretary of NNC (Parent Body), V Nagi at Jotsoma in Kohima district on June 2.

Soon after the trouble started, twenty apex Naga tribal organisations along with “gaon burhas” of Nagaland at a joint consultative meeting on June 6 had urged the working committee of the Naga groups to continue the dialogue with the Centre in the larger interest of the people.