Three apex bodies of Nagaland – the Naga Students Federation (NSF), the Naga Hoho and the Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) – have decided against meeting Centre’s interlocutor for Naga peace talks R.N. Ravi, alleging insincerity and lack of political will of the Centre to resolve the decades-old ‘Indo-Naga’ political problem.
Ravi was scheduled to meet the representatives of Naga organisations in Kohima on Tuesday evening and in Dimapur on Wednesday to brief them on the status of the ongoing talks between the Centre and the Naga groups.
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After his arrival in Kohima on Tuesday, Ravi met Governor P.B. Acharya at Raj Bhavan in Kohima.
In a release on Tuesday, NSF president Kesosul Christopher Ltu and general secretary Imtiyapang Imsong said the federation decided not to attend the consultative meeting being convened by the Nagaland government in Kohima and Dimapur, owing to the alleged “insincerity” of the government of India towards resolving the Naga political problem.
The federation said it had been extending its unflinching support and cooperation to the Indo-Naga peace process vis-à-vis political dialogue for all these years.
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However, the federation said, at this juncture, it is very perplexed about the ongoing scenario of the talks, which gave rise to doubt about the “sincerity” of the Centre.
In response to the Nagaland government’s notification inviting civil society organisations to meet Ravi, the NMA said it has decided to boycott the meeting in Kohima on Tuesday.
A press statement issued by NMA president Abeiu Meru and joint secretary Sawmi Leyri said the reason for the boycott is to protest against the “insincerity” of the Centre and its failure to resolve the long-drawn Naga political issue and bring peace.
The Naga Hoho, in a release issued by its communication cell on Tuesday, said it has decided to boycott the meeting with Ravi in Kohima to show its resentment to the Centre for its alleged insincerity and lack of political will to solve Indo-Naga political problem.
The Naga Hoho said all Naga frontal organisations under it are expected to follow the steps taken by it in this “decisive moment”.