DIMAPUR, JANUARY 24 (MExN): A group of senior citizens from Nagaland, consisting of former legislators and retired government officials have submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India expressing concern at the Government of India’s move to hold elections for the Nagaland Assembly.
The memo appended by TA Ngullie, former Finance Minister; DK Zeliang, Rural Economist and Environmentalist IFR (Retd); I Bendangangshi, former MLA; Rev L Suohie Mhasi, former MLA; and NA Kasar, senior administrative officer (Retd) said that the Naga people were “fully confident that the Government of India (GOI) will surely respect their aspiration by listening to their cries for deferment of the state assembly election in favour of the decades old Naga political solution which is now at the final stage.
However it expressed surprise at the decision of the central government to announce polls “leaving the solution behind the back burner.” “This kind of desperate disregard, disrespect and indifferent attitude towards the deep sentiment of the Naga people by the Government of India is highly regrettable,” the memo said.
“The Nagas will, however, leave no stone unturned to achieve their birth right for self-determination and to live as people with honour and that no power on earth can shake this magna carta of the Nagas,” the memo added.
It asked the Government of India to note that after 18 years of negotiation between the Government of India and the Nagas, the “realistic step” taken was the signing of the Framework Agreement on August 3, 2015. “This historic agreement should be the basis of an honourable and acceptable solution for both India and the Nagas. This historic agreement which we conclude respects the ‘unique history and situation’ of the Nagas,” it added.
The memo therefore asked the Government of India to move forward positively and realistically to resolve the Indo-Naga issue based on the August 3, 2015 Framework Agreement “as the Naga people concludes that the final solution based on this agreement will be the only honourable and acceptable solution for both the entities.”
“Any solution less than this will be disastrous,” it concluded.
