Dimapur: Convenor of the Working Committee, Naga National Political Groups (WC, NNPGs) and Ato Kilonser of the GPRN/NSCN N Kitovi Zhimomi on Sunday stated that it was neither the British nor the Indians who gifted the Naga people their land.
In a speech during the 76th Naga Independence Day on Sunday, Zhimomi remarked that the day ‘August 14, 1947 is our greatest milestone’ which epitomises Naga nationhood. At the same time, he noted that the Naga people are in a “self imposed crisis.”
The NNPGs leader took the opportunity to address various allegations about the WC, NNPGs’ Status paper. “I appeal to those accusing WC Status Paper as ‘edited version of 16 Point Agreement,’ ‘Economic Package,’ etc., to have the courage to surrender the political documents and arrangements of twenty five years, to the Naga people,” Zhimomi stated.
He also said “that history will remember who wasted twenty five years in fruitless parlays… and who negotiated with GoI earnestly and brought out the most transparent practical political roadmap for the Naga people.”
Stating that Nagas are readying for a practical political solution, he said that the every elected member of the Nagaland state assembly “has a copy of ‘Status Paper’, a negotiated document based on ‘Agreed Position’ signed between WC, NNPGs and GoI.”
He maintained that, “WC, NNPGs drastically changed the nature of political dialogue from being secretive to that of completely open, transparent, people-centric negotiation. The status paper is a reaffirmation to all our Naga brothers and sisters in different geographical areas, that there is enough political space for Nagaland state, Nagas in Manipur, Nagas in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagas in Assam… The goal is for inclusive honourable and acceptable solution for all Nagas.”
Further, Zhimomi noted the facilitator role of the 60 elected members in the opposition-less Nagaland state assembly, calling on them to “translate words into action.”
“Should electoral politics and desire to occupy the chair betray the century old Naga political problem?” he posed.
Zhimomi further asserted that the statesmanship and decisiveness of Prime Minister Narendra Modi “is most desirable at this hour.”
“Naga people have been assured an honourable, inclusive solution many times in the last few years,” he said, adding that negotiation with the GoI interlocutor has concluded putting across the practical aspiration of the Naga people. He maintained that all contentious issues have been tackled in the spirit of mutual benefit and interest and “unresolved matters have been agreed, in principle, to be further pursued through democratic political process post solution.”
“The world looks at the world’s largest democracy headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the Indo-Naga political issue based on the concluded negotiations of October 31, 2019 with Naga groups,” Zhimomi said.
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