Jan 08, 2013

Nagalim: Time For Peace Process Needed


The Naga has appealed to the Election Commission of India (CEC) to hold back the election process in Nagaland and give sufficient time for the peace process to accomplish its goal. A Naga delegation met the chief election commissioner and his team members to explain them of the wishes of the Naga people.

Below you can find an article published by Times of India:

 

The Naga Hoho has appealed to the Election Commission of India (CEC) to withhold the election process in Nagaland and give sufficient time for the peace process to accomplish its goal.

A four-member Naga Hoho delegation met the chief election commissioner and his team members on Friday [January 4th, 2013] to apprise them of the wishes of the Naga people.

The apex body of Naga society reminded the commission that Nagas have been struggling for political rights for more than 80 years. The last ceasefire agreement was signed in 1997 between the Government of India and NSCN-IM and the subsequent ceasefire pacts with different political groups were signed nearly 16 years ago, a long enough time to hammer out an amicable solution, it said.

It also pointed to the meeting of 60 legislators of the Nagaland legislative assembly under the banner of Joint Legislatures Forum (JLF) with the prime minister and other Indian leaders, seeking political solution instead of elections.

Stating that several Naga civil societies had also met different political parties in India and principal negotiators time and again requesting them to bring about an Indo-Naga political settlement at the earliest, the Naga Hoho said the ball is now in the court of the Indian government whether to settle the political issues amicably or break the hard-earned ceasefire.

It stressed that a solution should precede elections and that it is definitely not the right time to hold elections in Nagaland as the entire Naga population is longing for a political settlement.

The outfit warned the ECI will otherwise 'have to take the responsibility for political ramification and any undesirable situation that may arise out of unwanted elections in Nagaland'.