Dimapur, August 18 (MExN): The Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) on Tuesday announced it withdrawal from the Joint Legislators Forum (JLF) on Naga political issue with immediate effect.
The decision was taken at the NPF Legislature Party meeting held at the residence of the Opposition Leader, TR Zeliang in Dimapur on August 18.
In a statement issued by its Information and Publicity Wing, the NPF stated that the present set up of JLF on Naga political issue is facing “huge trust deficit” and said that there is “no further purpose in continuing this Forum.”
The NPF stated that it had played the role of an ‘active facilitator’ in resolving the Naga political issue at various stages since the last 23 years. It volunteered to be part of JLF on formation of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, the party stated.
However, since its reconstitution on September 18, 2018, JLF has failed to make any progress “due to the half-hearted approach of the present day Government,” the NPF alleged.
“JLF on Naga political issue has become a mere Forum without any tangible road-map to the Naga political issue on its part,” it added.
JLF meetings convened at the backdrop of the signing of the Framework Agreement and the Agreed Position between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) and the NNPGs respectively were followed by inaction on the part of the present day government, the NPF alleged.
The NPF said that, in almost every JLF meeting, it had proposed that the members of the Forum should call upon the Prime Minister of India, the Home Minister and other Central leaders and urge them to bring a logical conclusion to the long pending Naga political issue.
“However, the proposal has failed to see the light of the day till date,” the party said.
Even in the meetings of the Core Committee of the JLF, the NPF had suggested meeting the Central leaders with a delegation comprising of representatives of various political parties and tribe representatives.
It alleged that this suggestion was met with excuses from the Chief Minister and kept in abeyance.
It further said that even when the October 31, 2019 deadline was set for the conclusion of the Naga political issue, “the present day government paid the least attention in convening a Meeting of the JLF” before the deadline.
After the recent meeting Home Minister of India on August 6, the NPF said that CM Neiphiu Rio maintained “an eerie silence on what transpired in the meeting” on his return.
It was learnt from the Finance Minister of Assam that the meeting was in regard to bringing about permanent peace in the NE region and that the Government of India was keen on resolving the Naga issue, it added.
Considering these circumstances, and with the most recent rejection of its proposal for a 3-day session of the 13th NLA to discuss important issues including Naga political issue, the NPF said that the present JLF setup is facing a ‘trust deficit’.
The NPF cited that there is neither real activity nor productivity on the ground, and with the ruling dispensation not showing confidence in the legislators of the Naga Peoples’ Front, “there is no valid reason why the Naga Peoples’ Front should continue to remain as part of JLF.”
It however said that the party and its Legislature Wing will continue to be active facilitators on the Naga political issue.
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