The working committee (WC) of the six Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) has said political negotiations with the Central Government would resume after the Nagaland Assembly elections and appealed to Naga people to remain calm and avoid violence in the ‘imposed elections’.
WC-NNPGs in a statement said, “Let this process pass of peacefully. Irrespective of whichever party comes to power, the members must work towards facilitating an honourable and acceptable political solution between NNPGs and Government of India.”
The NNPGs also expressed unhappiness that the democratic foundations have been shaken in Nagaland because people under oath, the legislators, had signed they would not go for election.
Also recalling that all political parties signed an agreement on January 29, 2018 to desist from issuing party tickets, it however lamented, “The deceitful game eventually played by an Indian political party played spoilsport to the common agenda.”
The NNPGs has asked Union minister Kiren Rijiju and Ram Madhav, the BJP in-charge of North East to fulfill their slogans, “Election for solution.”
Further, on the assurance given by R N Ravi, interlocutor for Naga Peace talk that election would not come in the way of political negotiations, the NNPGs said this utterance must be followed in letter and spirit now that democratic process is on.
The WC-NNPGs also sought to clarify that the signing of the ‘Agreed Position’ or a ‘Preamble of the Negotiations’ between the Government of India and the NNPGs on November 17, 2017 is unprecedented.
The organisation further pointed out that it was unwise to link the NNPGs November 17, 2017 agreement with Government of India and NSCN (IM)’s Framework Agreement of August 3, 2015.
“Though both are for the same people, the former is as clear as the blue sky while the latter is shrouded in mystery and apprehension. This is the different between the two,” the statement said.