Nagaland Assembly demands 'solution before election'

Kohima, Dec 14 : The Nagaland Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution urging the government of India to take emergent and extraordinary steps for an "honourable and acceptable solution" to the Naga political issues before the state assembly election next year.

The House also resolved to urged the Election Commission of India not to announce the state election until the Centre finalised an honourable and acceptable solution to the Naga political issue in order to enable all Nagas to enjoy their due democratic and other rights and function as a more empowered electorate during the elections.

It also decided to call upon civil society, tribal Hohos, church, political parties and other organisations concerned to cooperate with the vision of the state government and press for "solution before election", so that utmost unity was displayed before the government of India and the Election Commission.

Introducing the resolution, Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang informed the House that the consultative meeting of the Nagaland legislators with the present and former parliamentarians held on December 7 had adopted a resolution urging the Nagaland Assembly to pass a separate resolution on similar lines for "solution before election" during the current session of the House.

Zeliang said the House appreciated the various measures taken by the Indian government with regard to early solution of the protracted Naga Political issue, especially the Framework Agreement signed on August 5, 2015 between the central government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM) as well as the written agreement on November 27 between the government of India and the working committee of the six Naga political groups.

"The various stakeholders are sincerely and seriously engaging their minds with the core details of the Naga political issues in order to arrive at an early solution," the Chief Minister stated.

He said the House was of the utmost view that solution to the Naga issues could not afford any more delay and thereby interminably deny the Nagas their democratic rights to self-determination and other concomitant rights.