NGOs urge PM for pact before polls
Source: The Sangai Express

Dimapur, January 08 2018: Several Naga organizations including the Naga Hoho have urged the Prime Minister of India to settle the Indo-Naga political issue before the Assembly elections to the State of Nagaland or postpone the Assembly elections, reports NNN.

The Naga Hoho in its memorandum to the Prime Minister today said that the Assembly elections to the State of Nagaland be postponed and "initiate a meaningful dialogue with the stakeholders for lasting solution to the Indo-Naga political problem" .

The Naga Hoho memorandum pointed out the assurance of the Prime Minister after assuming office in 2014 that the Indo-Naga political issue would be resolved within 18 months.

The Naga Hoho said that three years have lapsed after that assurance without any tangible solution.

However, the Naga Hoho memorandum stated, "Apparently, the Naga peace process is now at its final stage which is likely to culminate in a very short time..." .

The Naga Hoho memorandum, in the meantime, expressed, "We sincerely hope that your competent authority shall exhibit its political will and bring about a logical conclusion to this predicament" .

The Naga Hoho memorandum then cautioned that, in the event of the failure to defer the State Assemby elections and "ignite unwanted situations, the Government of India shall be held responsible" .

Also sending its memorandum to the Prime Minister of India in this regard, the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) pointed out that the 60 MLAs along with the former legislators adopted a joint resolution to press for political solution before election, with more than 40 NGOs including tribal hohos unanimously preferring solution to election to eradicate chaos and confusion.

The NTC memorandum further said that the "ongoing negotiation should bring logical result to the protracted Naga political issue without letting any situation hamper the progress" .

According to the NTC memorandum, "The ground reality is that the State of Nagaland has been reeling under 10 Governments for decades.

Beside the legitimate State Government, there are 9 Governments of NNPGs all housed in Nagaland and sourced by one Government.

Whereas, we talk about corruption and backwardness in Nagaland but it is obvious that development cannot literally take place in a place which is over-administered by too many authorities without synchronization" .

The Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) also urged the Central Government to postpone the State Assembly elections so that a final solution on the protracted Naga political issue is arrived at.

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