Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday said the government of India has constituted a committee headed by the Minister of State for Home Affairs to lead the Naga peace talks.
KOHIMA — Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday said the government of India has constituted a committee headed by the Minister of State for Home Affairs to lead the Naga peace talks.
Addressing the 80th Independence Day celebration at the Secretariat Plaza in Kohima, Rio said people are looking forward to the Centre “reaching out further to all the negotiating parties with urgency and clarity to ensure that everyone comes together to enable the Committee to commence its work in the right earnest to effectively fulfill its mandate”.
He recalled that the state government had convened a broad-based consultative meeting with all stakeholders, including leaders of tribal organisations, civil society representatives and church leaders, on September 12, 2024, where a resolution was adopted to request the government of India to “elevate the ongoing dialogue and peace process to the highest political level by appointing an interlocutor of political level or ministerial level, who has the confidence and mandate of the Government”.
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The same was reiterated during the meeting of the CM and his cabinet ministers with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on February 5 this year, following which the latter assured to form a committee to take the ongoing dialogue forward.
Rio expressed gratitude to the government of India for heeding the request of the people and civil societies to elevate the ongoing dialogue and peace process to the ministerial level by constituting a committee.
The State Government reaffirms its commitment to continue playing the role of an active facilitator in the peace process for the realisation of the long-cherished dream of an honourable and acceptable solution at the earliest possible, he added.
Rio said that while the people take pride in the collective accomplishments as a people over the decades, they are mindful of the long-standing Naga Political Issue, which has remained unresolved.
“Our people yearn for an early solution to the political issue,” he said.
On Frontier Nagaland Territory Authority
On the Frontier Nagaland Territory Authority (FNTA), the chief minister assured of the State Government's “fullest” cooperation and continued support for its early constitution and operationalisation.
“We wholeheartedly supported their desire for an arrangement in the form of Frontier Nagaland Territory Authority (FNTA) for Eastern Nagaland to enable them to fulfill their aspirations and help close the developmental deficits they have historically suffered from,” he said.
The historic tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between Government of Nagaland, Government of India and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) is a testament to the continued endeavours for ensuring equitable and inclusive development to all parts and regions of the state, he added.
Nagaland has been a worthy partner in the collective quest to attain greatness for the nation on many fronts, he said, adding that the state remains committed to reaching even greater heights for the country and the people.