Dimapur, November 2: It is high time Nagas find a peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiations as they have had enough of armed confrontations, Chief Minister TR Zeliang said.
“Negotiations through peaceful means is the only way to resolve the Naga issue and once it is resolved, gun culture will be a thing of the past,” the Chief Minister was quoted as saying by the CMO.
Zeliang said this while addressing the inaugural programme of Chazouba Town Council at Chazouba Wednesday afternoon.
Lauding the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his determination to find a permanent peace to the protracted Naga political problem, Zeliang said both the Prime Minister and the NPF believe in non-violence and in finding a peaceful solution through peaceful means, the CMO said.
Emphasising on the importance to find an early solution to the problem, the Chief Minister said if Nagas were to wait any longer, more faction might crop up adding to the already nine factions that we have today, it said.
“With the help and blessings of the Almighty God, we are now in a fortunate position of having a Government at the State level without opposition. On the Naga political issue also, we are hopeful for an early peaceful solution, acceptable to the Naga people,” Zeliang said.
He also expressed optimism that even NSCN-K will come back to renew the ceasefire agreement with Government of India.“At this juncture every Naga citizen should support solution for Permanent Peace. Let us make this land free of armed conflict, which is the only way to take our state towards progress and development. It is also my desire that this spirit of unity and consensus prevailing at the state level should also percolate down to the grass-root level,” Zeliang said.
He added that there should also be more unity and consensus at the Village Council and Town Council levels also, so that we, the Nagas, can really march forward as one people, in our endeavour to find peace, progress and prosperity.
On customary practices and Articvile 371 (A), the Chief Minister pointed out that as per the Village Council Act elections to village councils are done as per customary law but that town council elections will be done as per the electoral roll prepared ward wise.
“This was already accepted, and it had been practiced in some of our towns,” he pointed out adding the Nagaland Municipal Act was passed in 2001 and amended in 2006, with 33 % women reservation.
“Article 371 (A) says not withstanding anything contained in this constitution, no act of Parliament shall apply to the state of Nagaland, unless the NLA so decide by a resolution. Now, we find it difficult to fight against the Central Acts, which were already ratified by our own assembly in the past. Sometimes we forget what we have done, but record always speaks the truth,” he rued.
He also pointed out that Individual or community land holding system cannot be applied to Townships because the land is purchased by the Government from the land owners and that Article 371(A) cannot be applied in the townships.
On the opposition from certain quarters against collection of taxes, the Chief Minister said Municipal taxes, shop permits fee etc are mainly for development of the town and to pay the salary of the workers, since unlike other taxes like CST or Nagaland Sales Tax, there is no central share or state share in such taxes collected by the Municipal or Town Councils.
He also said the Government had recently decided not to accept any land donated to the Government with condition from the land owner, but to acquire the land with direct purchase.
On holding of elections to the Urban Local Bodies, he said the Government will go ahead with the elections in those places where there are no opposition and requested the people to cooperate with the Government since development of small townships which do not fall under the categories of villages or Municipals have been lagging behind in development.
He also said he failed to understand the opposition to reservation of 33% for women when menfolk are agreeable to 33% for women through nomination with full voting rights. “If any amendment required to be made in the Act, we can always do which is not good for the citizen of the town/city,” he added.
