‘Once election is conducted, everything goes wrong and we succumb to it’

[caption id="attachment_153951" align="alignnone" width="550"] Members of the working committee of Naga National Political Groups confer during the ‘consultative meet with the Naga civil societies’ that was held at the Niathu Resort in Dimapur on Sat.[/caption] Eastern Mirror Desk Dimapur, Dec. 9 : The Naga civil society comprising some apex tribe bodies, and indigenous minority tribes of Nagaland, on Saturday suggested 'solution to the Naga political issue before election,' during consultations initiated by the working committee of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) at the Niathu Resort in Dimapur. Twenty-seven organisations— which participated in said consultations on ‘how best the Indo-Naga issue could be resolved without comprising the core historical principles as agreed by two entities on Nov. 17 2017’—maintained that the sovereignty and integration of the Naga nation should not be compromised when giving priority to negotiations and solution. A representative of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) said: ‘If the solution does not fit our Naga society than Nagaland will be at loss and while working towards solution, do not bypass the Arunachal Nagas’. Also, indigenous minority tribes of Nagaland asserted that there cannot be complete solution unless all stakeholders–both majority and minority–are included in the process. The advisor to the Naga Mothers’ Association Rosemary Dzüvichü also affirmed the Naga mothers’ unflinching support to a solution while keeping the elections secondary. Though the civil society suggested 'solution over election,' they in their address conveyed that it would not be a correct measure on their part to provide final suggestions without consulting their respective community. They expressed uncertainty over elections taking place before a solution if it will hamper the Naga solution process. Considering the suggestions raised by the Naga civil society, the GPRN/NSCN envoy to the collective leadership Alezo Venuh asked the gathering to bring their collective suggestions in a written form before Jan. 15, 2018. Venuh, briefing media persons after the consultative meet, said that the event was scheduled for consultation with tribe hohos since the process was started with six groups coming together; and to keep continuity of it 'as every individual is involved in the process.' “We will continue to have such meet and we will go for personal meeting with tribal units and ask them to given in written form their collective suggestion”, said Venuh. The NNPGs received support to the current process from the civil society when they were called on to confirm if they support the current process. When queried if they have any problem with the state election going ahead, Venuh remarked ‘election is not the issue but in our case once election is done everything goes wrong and we succumb’. “The NNPG had about six rounds of talks with the government of India and the next talk will be held next week,” he informed. When queried about the possibility of the process reaching the final stage to give rise to another 'framework agreement' shrouded in mystery much like the NSCN (IM)-GoI agreement, Venuh responded, ‘It (the process) belongs to the Nagas’ who are part of it and every negotiation has its own time. 'Definitely there will be a time where we cannot just neglect the whole points and ultimately people have to be part of it. Our agenda is to look for a solution and in the near future our consultation will be with other Nagas and we cannot deny them,' asserted Venuh.