Karaiba Chawang
Kohima | April 4
Nagaland People Front (NPF) today reaffirmed its support to the ongoing peace process and commitment to work for a negotiated settlement towards the protracted Naga political problem, and termed the unabated factional clash as un-nationalistic.
NPF President and Minister for Planning and Coordination, Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu, while making a presidential address at the inaugural function of its new central office building said that Naga problem is basically a political and a human problem which can be solved only through political and humane approach.
“We remain as the northern Star because we formed this party based on principles that are safeguarding the interest of the people. Our fundamental principle is to work to strive for a negotiated settlement of the Naga political problem”, Dr Shurhozelie said.
The NPF President also recounted instances where regional parties suffered under the hands of the government of India for ‘speaking out the truth on Naga political issue.’ He, however, drew containment that the truth has now prevailed and the latter has recognized it as ‘unique history’.
They do not claim any credit for it, but it is a victory of their principle. They have no regret for what they had suffered in the past for saying the truth because the truth is now recognized by the people, said Dr Shurhozelie.
Coming down heavily on the undergrounds groups for feuding, the NPF President said that although the Naga problem has been branded as a unique history, the unabated fratricidal killings in Nagaland among the different groups are unfortunate. This amounts to factions’ refusal to listen to the voice of the people for whom they claim to have made sacrifices, Dr Shurhozelie said.
“Killing amongst them is a total deviation from that main principle. Because killing amongst them is neither for sovereignty nor for the Naga people and we do not understand the reason why they are fighting among themselves”, Dr Shurhozelie said.
Asserting that the NPF wants a political solution, and in the event of any political solution arrived at, as a ruling party, it would give way for any alternative arrangement. He added that the DAN government is playing a mediator role between the conflicting parties.
Elaborating the various strategies adopted by the NPF led DAN government towards facilitating the ongoing peace process like the CCP, State Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, who addressed the gathering of party men and women as chief guest, strongly urged and appealed to all underground groups and over-ground citizens of the State to eschew all forms of violence and learn to live together unitedly.
Rio iterated the call for adopting forgive and forget policy, reconciliation and to follow the healthy spirit of accommodating one another, which he emphasized as the only way for Nagas to have a brighter future and to survive together as a people.
“If we are not prepared for this, our future will be doomed and posterity and history will never forgive us”, Rio said.
“Peace for development” is the most important policy and strategy the DAN government has adopted in furthering the search for a solution to the Naga political issue, and good governance is the process through which we plan to achieve this strategy, Rio stated.
Although, the final solution to the political issue is still eluding the Nagas, there has been considerable improvement in law and order problem during the last four years, Rio reiterated, and attributed this achievement to the ‘open door policy and brotherly approach’ to all underground groups, coupled with their policy of equi-closeness.
“Therefore, I am of the view that in spite of the final peace still eluding us we have done reasonably well in the pursuit of our main agenda of securing an honourable and negotiated settlement of the Naga political, and in implementing our policy of peace and development”, Rio said.
Rio also went on to add that NPF, which is the off-shoot of the 1963 Democratic Party, has always been maintaining the flexibility and adaptability to the changing needs and situation of the State and upholding the identity of the Nagas, but without changing its core identity of regionalism. So the present coalition government, led by the NPF is the seventh non-Congress government in the State. However, the difference now is that regionalism is taking firmer roots in the State, and this government is not only completing its full tenure, but also has the brightest chance of coming back to power, Rio further added.
