NSF to go ahead with rally against elections

Kohima Bureau Kohima, Jan. 19 (EMN): The apex Naga Students' Federation (NSF) has made it clear that the organisation will not 'succumb to duress' or pressure from any organisation be it underground or 'overground' concerning the issue of 'solution before election.' The statement comes four days before the proposed state-wide mass rally on Jan. 23 called by the NSF to press the government of India to formulate a solution to the Naga political issue before Nagaland's assembly elections. Addressing a press conference at the federation’s office chamber on Jan. 19, the NSF's president Kesosul Christopher Ltu said that the federation will not subscribe to the declaration of election by the Election Commission of India. He said that the NSF will proceed with its public rally and 'any other steps in due course of time.' On the Indian government's interlocutor RN Ravi’s comment that the talks will resume after the election, the NSF president said that the peace talks cannot go on taking the 'convenience' of the central government all the time. The student leader asserted that 'almost all the sections of the Naga society represented by various organisations have submitted representations and memorandums one after the other to the office of the president of India and the Prime Minister of India.' In reference to it, the NSF president questioned the 'sincerity' of the government of India in its declaring the election, which he claimed was 'against the wishes of majority of the Nagas.' “Memorandums were submitted to honourable president of India and the honourable prime minister of India through the interlocutor, but to our disappointment, our representations could not be taken into cognisance and thereby sidelining the aspirations and desire of our people for solution to the Naga political issue,” Ltu said. “While Nagas have regarded the ongoing peace process, vis-a-vis political dialogue with utmost importance, the act of the GoI through ECI have once again revealed to the world the arbitrary imposition upon the Nagas by declaring the election,” he said. He also reminded that a seven-member delegation of the NSF went to New Delhi in October last and met the interlocutor RN Ravi and extensively deliberated and shared the desire of the Nagas for early solution. Replying to a query as to why NSF, a students’ organisation, had to spearhead the Nagas in the demand for early solution, Ltu clarified that the federation will continue to represent and speak for the Nagas on issues concerning the welfare of the Naga people as a whole. “Successive NSF tenures have been irrepressible upon the GoI and the Naga Political Groups (NPGs) for early solution,” Ltu said. He maintained that the “NSF had participated and shared its stance in every consultative talks called in regard to the Indo-Naga peace talks.” “When we consider that the Indo-Naga peace talks will determine our future. Why not we share our concern and initiate on things which concerns the welfare of the youth and students whom we consider as our hope and our future,” he added. “The NSF, being a voluntary organisation of the students working for unified lim and glory of Nagas, we will render our best to bring a lasting solution to the vexed Indo-Naga problem,” he stated. On many opinions against them in social media groups, the NSF president claimed that the federation 'works for the interest of all sections of the Naga society.' He asserted that it won’t succumb to any pressure or duress from any organisation be it underground or 'overground.' With so many of the former NSF leaders being projected as intending candidates for this coming election, the apex student body also assured to reach out to all the leaders, past and present, to act accordingly keeping in mind the sentiments of the Naga people at large. “This is just the initial step for making an appeal for solution and not election,” he said and urged all concerned Nagas to be a part of the rally on Jan. 23 and further to all the activities the federation will take in due course of time. The NSF president also recorded that the federation had declared the public rally on Jan. 12 during its meeting while making it a point that the ECI declared for the state election only on Jan. 18. He reiterated that the NSF will firmly stand to its demand for solution before election 'come what may.' The NSF president recalled an event when the organisation boycotted the general election in 1998. Time will tell, he added. Here in Kohima, the state's capital, the rally will be conducted at the Naga Solidarity Park.