Morung Express News
Dimapur|July 21
After separately meeting both the Working Group of the seven Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) and NSCN (IM) in two consecutive days, the Core Committee on Naga political issue has exuded confidence that the two Naga negotiating parties would sit across the same table to thrash out any bottlenecks and arrive at a mutually agreed stand on the Naga issue.
Speaking to media persons after meeting the NSCN (IM) leadership at Police Complex, Chümoukedima on July 21, Co-Convenor of the Core Committee, TR Zeliang who is also the Leader of Opposition described the meeting as “smooth sailing” even as they met after a long gap.
“They understood our point and we also understood their contention. So I think our expectation is the two Naga negotiating groups will sit across the table and along with 60 elected members we could arrive at some kind of conclusion,” Zeliang said.
He also informed that the Core Committee had requested NSCN (IM) leadership to resume peace talks with the Government of India (GoI) while it would continue as a facilitator to arrive at a common ground for the Naga negotiating groups to approach the GoI with a common voice.
Also speaking to media persons, NPF Spokesperson, Imkong L Imchen said that the Naga solution was not in the hands of the Core Committee but that it was only facilitating to find out a common ground for the different Naga groups so that meaningful discussion could be held with the central government.
Meanwhile, Zeliang reiterated that the NPF party agreed to an opposition-less government because of the Naga political issue. “But now the ball is their (PDA) court. We have only one party but they have two parties (NDPP-BJP),” Imchen added.
He maintained that the NPF was not bargaining for any position in the government but argued that GoI would listen if the State’s political situation was similar to when the Framework Agreement was signed. The State had an opposition-less government under Zeliang’s leadership then.
“So that is made known to the people that it is possible when we are together and there is a way GoI will listen when we are together and when we have common approach. With that perception we have decided to agree to the concept (opposition-less government),” Zeliang added.
Imchen, on the other hand, disclosed that only 18 NPF MLAs were present when the decision to join the ruling government was taken and that seven suspended NPF MLAs were not present.
