[caption id="attachment_161268" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Imkong L Imchen (EM File Photo)[/caption]
Kohima Bureau
Kohima, Jan. 24 (EMN): Minister for health, election and parliamentary affairs, Imkong L Imchen has on Wed. questioned the statement made by BJP national general secretary and in-charge of north east states, Ram Madhav on Jan. 22 that conducting the forthcoming assembly election would bring solution to the Indo-Naga issue closer.
In the backdrop of the Naga civil society demanding for ‘solution before election’, Madhav while addressing BJP workers at a felicitation programme in Dimapur on Mon., stated to have suggested the idea of ‘election for solution’ saying that this election should be for a good solution.
“Madhav is well aware that after the government of India entered into ceasefire agreement (1997) with the NSCN (IM), Naga people have already conducted four state assembly elections, and still, he thinks that solution to the Naga political issue is not closer unless state assembly election is held,” Imchen said pointedly while interacting with news persons here in Kohima.
“If he (Madhav) is putting this as a condition to the Naga people, I don’t think the Naga people will take it sweetly. Yet, if he wanted to put this condition upon the Naga people as a price to give us political settlement, it will be very good on his part to give us the exact timeline to bring about a political settlement,” the minister stated. He also maintained it would be ‘very good’ if the BJP high command endorsed Madhav’s statement as the official position of the BJP, including the party’s state unit.
He said the BJP must clarify its leader’s statement at the earliest as the Naga people ‘deserve clarification’. Imchen reminded that the Naga people were looking up on the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing about the ‘framework agreement’ on Aug. 3 in 2015 and for bringing the peace talks under the Prime Minister’s Office. Previously, it was under Home Ministry.
“Naga people interpreted this as a sign of sincerity and commitment with the purpose to bring about the long standing Naga political issue to an early amicable settlement,” he asserted.
Alleging that the Indian National Congress party kept the Naga issue pending for the last 65 that it became their (un)success story, he was hopeful that the present leadership would not prolong settlement.
Meanwhile, coming back to the forthcoming assembly election, Imchen opined that the BJP in the state were overestimating their strength and position, which he feels, would eventually be proved by the mandate of the people if election is to be conducted.
“We are fully aware of the game plan of the BJP and its devices while dealing with the NPF party as well as other splinter groups. We are prepared to respond proportionately as and when the right time arrives,” he said.
On the call of ‘solution before election’ by various civil society organizations, Imchen said it was not clear whether the organizations were intending to boycott the election or not going to permit the election to take place. He reminded that the NPF as a party has endorsed the Assembly resolution that election should be postponed or deferred for the sake of solution to the Naga political issue so that a congenial atmosphere is created. NPF party is clear it does not want election, it wants solution,” he stated.
He said, personally, he will support any civil society organization coming out for deferment of election. “I want to see that our upcoming Naga generation are liberated as dignified citizens.
We (NPF) are confident that we are going to win the election and despite this, we are willing to forgo our opportunity for the sake of Naga political settlement,” he added.
