Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 28
Chief Minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu today said that right from the beginning, and true to its election manifesto, the highest priority of DAN government has been how to facilitate the peaceful resolution of the Naga political issue.
Towards this, he said, it has been very pro-active right from day one.
In his budget speech, Dr. Liezietsu said the Political Affairs Committee of the DAN government, formed soon after DAN-I government was installed, had met leaders of various Naga political groups on several occasions, and had useful interactions with them.
He said, recently after his assuming the office of chief minister, the government has constituted a new “Political Affairs Mission” in place of the erstwhile Political Affairs Committee, with a view to giving a new thrust and a mission approach to the peaceful resolution of the Naga political issue.
“This House had earlier formed a Joint Legislature Forum on Naga Political Issue right from DAN-I, which had been renamed in 2015 as Nagaland Legislators Forum on Naga Political Issue soon after DAN –III government became an opposition-less government,” he said.
The Speaker had further constituted the Parliamentary Working Committee of the Nagaland Legislators Forum on Naga Political issue, which met the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and other prominent political leaders in Delhi during 2015-16, and had sought their support for the peaceful resolution of the Naga political issue. The committee also had meetings and exchange of ideas with various Naga political groups.
“While admitting that our best efforts during these last 15 years are yet to yield the desired or expected final outcome, let me say that we should give no room for pessimism or despair to come in our way,” Dr. Liezietsu said.
With the signing of Framework Agreement by the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) in August 2015, and the active interest shown by the Government of India to take the Naga political issue forward to its logical and peaceful conclusion, let us all hope for a positive outcome in the near future, chief minister said.
The chief minister said another positive outcome of the DAN’s pro-active and peaceful approach to the Naga political issue has been the relatively peaceful atmosphere in the state during the last 15 years of DAN’s rule, as compared to the chaotic and conflict situation that prevailed during the preceding decade of the 1990’s.
“This relatively peaceful atmosphere has enabled the state government to carry out several important infrastructure development programmes in the social and economic sectors, while also enabling the common people to pursue their own development and livelihood issues in a relatively peaceful atmosphere,” he said.
