DIMAPUR:
The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC), on June 2, said that the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) should not waste any more time and take a call on finding a solution to the Naga problem.
Noting that the political negotiation between the Centre and the Naga negotiators has reached its silver jubilee, the NTC said the people cannot wait any longer and called upon the NSCN-IM to be transparent and bring out its competencies to the public domain.
The NTC said the government of India is absolutely clear on its parameters of negotiations with the understanding that was reached on October 31, 2019 when the Naga peace talks were said to have concluded.
In a release issued by the Council, the NTC said it had an in-depth deliberation on the current political dialogue between the Centre and the Naga negotiators in its general session held in Kohima on May 31.
Observing the performances of the Core Committee on Naga political issue, formed under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the council felt that the committee tends to misuse its role while projecting itself to be the indispensable broker between the government of India and the Naga negotiators. It said the committee is at best a facilitator as any other facilitator.
“Therefore, its members giving statements on any agenda of any of the negotiators is uncalled for,” it said.
The NTC said everyone’s effort, be it the negotiator or the facilitator, must be focused on the solution alone and not otherwise.
It also warned the committee not to “over indulge or expose the competencies on the negotiating table sacred to the Nagas”. It issued the warning following newspaper reports that the committee is also likely to apprise Assam Chief Minister and North East Democratic Alliance convener Himanta Biswa Sarma on the outcome of May 28 meeting with the NSCN-IM to take it forward to the Centre.
The NTC rejected the “modus operandi” of the committee, saying as though the Naga negotiators do not have access to the government of India through the official emissary and as though Nagaland is secondary to any other state.
Reacting to one of the resolutions of the United Naga Council (UNC) adopted in Imphal on May 27, the NTC said such senseless resolution exposes the ground realities that the loss and the suffering of the Nagas of Nagaland is the gain and enjoyment of the Nagas in Manipur.
The NTC quoted the UNC resolution as “What is the hurry now! Can we accept it if the Government of India gives any damned thing? We Nagas must take our own time.”
The council also disapproved the attempt of any political group to curtail or intimidate the stakeholders from expressing its opinion or observation on the Naga issue.