NERPF team meets President, offers to play peace-facilitators
Source: Hueiyen News Service / NNN
New Delhi, January 22 2014 :
A day after meeting Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde during which they pressed for immediate scrapping of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and stop its "misuse" in the region by the armed security personnel, the delegates of North East Regional Political Front (NERPF) today apprised President of India Pranab Mukherjee of the political problems of the region and urged to bring about permanent solution to the decades old political problems that have resulted in insurgencies.
The NERPF delegation led jointly by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who are respectively the Convenor and Chief Advisor of the Front, further urged the Centre to take the people of the region into confidence and offered all co-operation to play the role of facilitators to bring about peace in the region.
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During the meeting, the delegation also submitted a 17-point memorandum to the President.
The Convenor of NERPF highlighted the contents of the memorandum and urged the Government of India to seriously address the issues in the greater interest of the country and the people of the north eastern region in particular.
Some of the key issues that were brought to the notice of the Central Government included the continuous influx of illegal immigrants into the region and lack of effective steps taken up in this regard from the side of the Government of India.
NERPF also called for the immediate cancellation land swap deal by the Central Government with Bangladesh and the repeal of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the region.
The Front expressed concern over the issue of Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh and objected to the random manner in which massive dams are being constructed in the upper reaches of the Bramaputra in China, which has potential to adversely impact the entire region in multiple ways including the possibility of natural disasters.
Serious concern on the safety and security of the north eastern people especially students, professionals and working women in the metropolitan cities especially in the national capital region were also brought to the notice of the Centre.
The delegation which also included Co-Convenor and Asom Gana Parishad Working President Atul Bora, Manipur People's Party (MPP) President, N.Sovakiran, United Democratic Party, Meghalaya MLAS Dr.Jemino Mawthoh and T.Chyne, General Secretary of People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) J.K.Riba, Adviser of Mizo National Front (MNF) H..VLalringa, General Secretary of Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) Agore Deb Barma and Press Secretary of Naga People's Front (NPF) and NERPF Secretary Abu Metha, etc, have been camping at the National capital since yesterday.
They have also met BJP National President Rajnath and submitted a similar 17-point memorandum to him yesterday.