Nagaland Tribes Council
Nagaland Tribes Council leaders. File image - Tir Yimyim

The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) on Sunday appealed to the government of India and two negotiators not to opt for avenues which may delay solution to the Naga issue.

The NTC said all should have an open mind and be bold to conclude the peace talk process with a solution.

In a release, NTC president Toniho Yepthomi and general secretary Nribemo Ngullie said the government of India has already set the timeframe within which the negotiators are required to hammer out the solution.

The negotiators will have to find a solution, no matter how hard or easy the negotiation process may be in the greater interest of the Nagas.

The council said if any contentious issue/issues, which are remaining unresolved, must not be allowed to become the roadblock to solution.

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“Any issue which is of common interest will remain to be the collective responsibility of the Nagas to pursue post solution,” it said.

The council believed that the “political solution will not only resolve those issues being dealt with by the negotiators but it will have much positive impact on the overall scenario”.

It, therefore, implored upon the negotiators not to fail the Nagas at this crucial hour.

The council felt that as much as the ceasefire is the means to political negotiations between the government of India and the Naga negotiators, the ongoing negotiations are the means to political solution.

It said the negotiations have now reached a very crucial stage with so much labour and the process should not be allowed to become a futile exercise.

“If any entity tends to undermine the humbleness, the commitment and the participation of the other, it will be a loss to oneself than to the other,” it said.

It said if any entity fails to realize how vital the ongoing negotiations are, the ultimate result of such negligence will be nothing more than regret.

“Should any negotiator become complacent or irresponsible by which the process is led to a stalemate, the obvious consequence will be the wrangle with blame games which will only produce the seed for retrogression in the long run,” the council added.

Bhadra Gogoi is Northeast Now Correspondent in Nagaland. He can be reached at: [email protected]