NPF constitutes PAM on Naga political issue

DIMAPUR, AUG 26 (NPN): NPF Working Committee has decided to constitute a Political Affairs Mission (PAM) comprising party officials and NPF Legislative Party (NPFLP) to facilitate the Naga peace process. This was among several resolutions adopted during the party’s working committee meeting held at Kohima on Wednesday.

According to the signatories of the resolution committee– NPF secretary general Achumbemo Kikon as convener and legislators Yitachu and Y Vikheho Swu as members, the meeting endorsed NPF president and NPFLP leader to constitute members to actively carry forward the party’s endeavour to bridge the gap between the entities.

Reiterating the party’s commitment to work and assist the peaceful resolution of the Indo-Naga political issue, the committee resolved to continue to put all effort as facilitators and constitute PAM. The meeting also endorsed the decisions of NPFLP to withdraw from Joint Legislators’ Forum (JLF) and also boycott the one-day Nagaland Legislative Assembly session held on August 13.

And keeping in mind the urgency of resolving the Indo-Naga political issue, the committee also appealed to the negotiating parties and Government of India (GoI) to expedite the political negotiations and bring them to a logical conclusion to usher in peace and tranquility in the Northeast and in the entire Indian sub-continent.

Noting that in any political negotiations the parties engaged should have the spirit of mutual understanding, the committee appealed to parties engaged in political negotiations to hammer out all contentious issues in the right spirit and there should be room for concessions.

Taking stock of the present political situation that was becoming fragile day by day, the meeting reiterated the NPF’s consistent stand on honourable, acceptable and inclusive solution of the Naga political issue. It appealed to other groups who are yet to join the peace process to reconsider their stand.

The working committee also discussed the upcoming by-elections in Nagaland and Manipur and decided to take steps according to the given situation. The meeting put on record the failures of the PDA government on various fronts, particularly the economic condition of the daily wage earners and rural populace of the State.

NPF boycotted NLA session to uphold sanctity: Zeliang

Alleging that the dignity of Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) and its democratic principles were repeatedly abused on the pretext of implementing COVID-19 measures, leader of opposition TR Zeliang said NPF boycotted the one-day Assembly session on August 13 in order to protect democratic practices and uphold its sanctity.

Speaking at NPF working committee meeting held at the party’s headquarters in Kohima on Wednesday, Zeliang also suggested that the party should constitute a PAC to deal with the Naga political issue.

Explaining the sequence of events leading to the boycott of the Assembly session, he said a one-day NLA session was announced despite two NPF legislators – Dr Chotisuh Sazo and Amenba Yaden– requesting a three-day session during the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on July 20 to discuss three issues of public importance viz., Naga political issue, COVID-19 and SARFAESI Act, 2002.

But since their request was turned down, the two NPF MLAs issued a communiqué the same evening terming the decision arrived at the BAC meeting as “discriminatory, unfair and unacceptable.” The two brought the matter to public domain for general awareness on how the State government had once again made “a mockery of democratic practices in the State.”

Citing the above and various other reasons, he pointed out that there was thus a huge trust deficit in JLF. Therefore, Zeliang maintained that there was no point in continuing with the forum as there was neither real activity nor productivity on the ground. Further, when the ruling dispensation did not have confidence on NPF legislators, he said there was no reason why the party had to continue remaining part of JLF.

In this regard, Zeliang said that the NPFLP adopted a resolution on August 18, 2020 withdrawing from JLF. He, however, clarified that this did not mean that the party would walk away from the mission of being a facilitator. He also said that the NLA speaker wrote to him on August 20 requesting to reconsider the NPFLP decision on withdrawing from JLF.

As committed to the people, Zeliang said he strongly felt that NPF should carry forward the principle of inclusiveness in resolving the long-pending Naga political issue and suggested that the party should constitute a PAC to deal with the issue.

Zeliang also reminded that the NPF had played the role of an active facilitator in resolving the Naga political issue for the last 23 years.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/npf-constitutes-pam-on-naga-political-issue/221036.html