Our Correspondent
Kohima, September 6 (EMN): The Nagaland Peace Centre has appealed to the NSCN (K) and the NNC to join the peace process.
The chairman of the NPC, N Theyo has appealed to the NSCN (K) and the NNC regime led by Adinno Phizo to ‘think and consider’ to join the ongoing peace process so that the political problems of the Nagas would be solved ‘once and for all.’ He was optimistic about the August 3, 2015 ‘framework agreement’ between the government of India and the NSCN (IM) which hopefully will result in achieving the political aspirations of all Nagas wherever they are.
Stating that it was ‘very unfortunate’ to see that the Naga groups had failed to unite to achieve what they desired, Theyo said that the political solution has been ‘delayed because of disunity and infighting.’
At a thanksgiving service that was organised in commemoration of the 52nd Nagaland Peace Formation in Kohima town this morning, Theyo maintained that ‘with so much internal discussion and dissection, we cannot expect a great or better results as there are clear lines of fracture in the struggle for political settlement.’
Recounting the 10 years Indo-Naga holocaust of violence and bloodsheds from 1954-1964 as Nagas fought to claim their identity and rights, a member of the NPC governing body, S Ghunaka Swu, recalled that after a series of talks, the ‘ultimate ceasefire’ was reached on September 6, 1964.
Subsequently, he said vigorous attempts have been made by the various Naga political groups with the then interlocutor for Naga Peace talk RS Pandey which ‘slowed down with his resignation.’ However, he expressed optimism that with RN Ravi as the interlocutor and the signing of the ‘framework agreement’ on August 3, 2015, there would possibly be ‘positive solution and end the misunderstandings and discords among the factions.’
Swu has appealed to the Naga people to work toward ‘strengthening political forces’ to support the peace process and pray for a final ‘honourable and acceptable settlement.’
Asserting that the aim of the NPC was to ‘uphold the policy of peace and discourage violence and bloodshed,’ Theyo said also that the NPC fully supports the policy of peace efforts of the state government in dealing with the Naga political groups.
He called upon all peace-loving Nagas to ‘make use of their influence’ by putting across the message to the national workers, who are engaged in ceasefire agreements, to ‘respect each other as Naga brothers and sisters and value human dignity.’
‘Fratricide killing is against the spirit of nationalism. It is self annihilation. It is just because of our stupidity,’ said Theyo, who asserted that ‘this abhorrent idea must be immediately stopped.’
Also, he expressed the aspiration of the Nagas to see that all the Naga ‘national leaders’ in the foreign countries ‘must come back and stay in their homeland.’ He called to the people to work toward ‘strengthening political force for peace, and pray for the final political settlement of the protracted Naga political issue.’
