The NERPF delegation with the President of India in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
New Delhi, January 22 (MExN): A delegation of the North East Regional Parties Front (NERPF) met and submitted a memorandum with 17 points of resolution to the President of India, the Union Home Minister and the BJP President in New Delhi on January 21. This was informed in a press release from secretary of the NERPF, Abu Metha.
Convenor of the NERPF, Neiphiu Rio, highlighted the contents of the resolutions and urged upon 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. The NERPF’s stated objective is to work “to safeguard territorial, cultural, social, political and economic rights of the people of the Region and will continuously strive to protect the distinctive identities of the ethnic tribes, and all the people of the region.”
The delegation was led by NERPF Convenor and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. Other members of the delegation included Chief Advisor Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, 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 the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA), J.K. Riba, Adviser of the Mizo National Front (MNF), H. V. Lalringa, General Secretary of the Indigeneous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) Agore Deb Barma and Press Secretary of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and NERPF Secretary Abu Metha.
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 lamented the lack of effective steps on the part of the Government of India. The NERPF also called for the immediate cancellation of the land swap deal by the Central Government with Bangladesh and called for the repeal of the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. The front expressed concern on Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh and objected to the random manner in which massive dams are being constructed in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra in China which has the potential to adversely impact the entire region in multiple ways including possibility of natural disasters.
It also called upon the Government of India to implement the “Look East” policy in “letter and spirit, rebuild the Indian portion of the Stillwell Road and open an immigration office at the border, helping cross border trade and commerce.”
Serious concern on the safety and security of the north eastern people especially students, professionals and working women in the urban cities especially in the national capital region were brought to the notice of the Centre.
The NERPF urged upon the Government of India to address the political problems of the region and bring about permanent solution to the decades old political problems that have resulted in insurgencies. The front called upon the Centre to take the people of the region into confidence and offered all cooperation to play the role of facilitators to bring about peace in the region.
