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| blogger in Nagaland |
Senapati (Manipur)/New Delhi (IANS): "I see no reason why there cannot be a settlement," Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said in his maiden election rally in Manipur on Wednesday, wooing the Naga population and urging them to vote for the Naga People's Front (NPF) candidates.
Rio himself heads NDPP-BJP-NPF regime in Nagaland; he hails from NDPP and was invited by the NPF - the party he split in 2017 - to address election rallies in neighbouring Manipur, which goes to polls in two phases on Feb 28 and March 5.
The NPF has fielded 10 candidates for the 60-member Assembly and it is keen to play a major role post the results in the formation of the new government in Imphal.
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Ravi : Even his farewell was marred by media boycott
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(“The Kohima Press Club is not asking you to boycott or not publish news about Mr. Ravi’s state farewell programme. We leave it to your prudence to decide, but we would deeply appreciate it if our Nagaland-based media houses could show solidarity with the stand that we are taking today.
Mr. Ravi’s calculated behavior towards the Press and Media fraternity in Nagaland should not be allowed to become a precedent". )
- Sept 2021
"Whatever competencies agreed, make the agreement. And whatever cannot be resolved, continue the discussions," Rio stated.
He is not the first leader to say so. But it is important that Rio has echoed these sentiments. The same words and sentiments were earlier echoed by former Nagaland Governor, R.N. Ravi.
The Central BJP leaders too have been pressing for the same and so did a conglomeration of seven Naga ultra-groups, NNPG (led by N. Kitovi Zhimomi).
But Rio echoing the same issues and 'concerns' flagged earlier by the Central government agencies and former Governor Ravi on the issue of extortion carried out by Naga rebel groups makes a lot of political as well as administrative sense.
Neiphiu Rio was a Congress leader himself and a former lieutenant of veteran S.C. Jamir. Rio is known as one of the few Naga leaders who has developed proximity to Thuingaleng Muivah, the powerful NSCN (IM) general secretary, over the last two decades.
The former Congress stalwart Jamir, who later became Gujarat Governor during the tenure of Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister, had strong differences and 'bitter rivalry' with Muivah and NSCN (IM).
Jamir was even shot at by suspected NSCN (IM) gunmen in Delhi's Nagaland House in 1993.
In his speech at Senapati on Wednesday, Rio also said, "The Naga movement is a partial success already... The government of India has recognised the earnestness of the Naga history."
"Naga struggle, I will say, is not a total failure," Rio said, perhaps hinting towards a somewhat antagonistic stand taken by the rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagaland - NSCN (IM).
This rebel group led by Thuingaleng Muivah, a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur's Ukhrul region, has a substantial support base in Manipur hills and had created major hurdles in the peace process by raising the bogey of separate Constitution and Naga flag (in 2019) during the peace talks.
Echoing the sentiment that actually clamours for early solution to the Naga political problem, Rio went on to say -- though his state (Nagaland) is set to go to the polls early next year -- he is "not (very) keen to have elections".
"I want solution...," he said.
Ravi, who is a retired Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau, was shunted out as the Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Rio said, "There should be no violence in our society.... There should be no extortion," and went on to add, "The burden is too much."
"Nagas have so many tribes and now Naga groups have so many camps. It is not workable.... Today our society is already divided," said the Nagaland Chief Minister, blasting at the extortion culture, and maintained, "We have so many taxations... Over and above organisations, so many individuals."
Speaking against extortion, the Chief Minister said, "Burden is so much on the common people. We have to seriously think, otherwise there is no future."
"This cannot sustain," Rio said, virtually echoing what former Ravi had said two years back.
Such a statement from the then Governor Ravi had also created differences between Rio and Ravi.
In his speech at a students' conference in Phek in Nagaland on Tuesday, Rio had said that the Centre is willing to grant additional seats in the Assembly and Parliament to resolve the decades-old Naga political issue.
At present, Nagaland has a 60-member Assembly and one Member of Parliament each in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The Naga peace talks have been put on fast-track lately and the Centre also reached out to an umbrella group of rebel leaders, NNPG, led by N. Kitovi Zhimomi.
Both Rio and NPF leader and former Nagaland CM T.R. Zeliang lauded BJP Chief Minister N. Biren Singh of Manipur for respecting the Naga sentiment and NPF representatives in the Manipur assembly.
They both flayed Congress stalwart O. Ibobi Singh and said the then Chief Minister in 2011 had strongly opposed the formation of the NPF unit in Manipur.
Rio also said that then Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram had advised him not to visit Manipur's Naga areas to launch the NPF party in the state.
Meitei Manipuris have a strong apprehension that Naga rebel group NSCN (IM) would try to impact the 'territorial integrity' of Manipur with their demand for a 'greater Nagalim'. This demand has been rejected by the Centre.
However, one NPF general secretary, Huska Yepthomi, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to deliver the Naga peace formula in 18 months as was promised earlier.
Yepthomi also slammed the BJP for attacks on churches in various parts of the country. He criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not mentioning northeast and eight states in one of his controversial tweets.
The NPF general secretary said that the Congress has been reduced to being a "Mother-son-daughter party".
Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday made a strong pitch for an early peace agreement between the Central Govt and Naga rebel groups.
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Echoing the sentiment that actually clamours for early Solution to the Naga political problem, Rio said thoughhis state (Nagaland) is set to go for elections early next year, he is "not (very) keen to have elections".
"I want solution...," Rio said.
He is not the first leader to say so. But it is important that Rio has echoed these sentiment. The same words and sentiment were earlier echoed by former Nagaland Governor R N Ravi. Central BJP leaders too have been pressing for the same and so did a conglomeration of seven Naga ultra groups NNPG (led by N Kitovi Zhimomi).
But Rio's echoing the same issues and 'concerns' flagged off earlier by the central government agencies and former Governor Ravi on the issue of extortion carried out by Naga rebel groups makes a lot of political as well as administrative sense.
"Today our society is already divided...", says the Chief Minister blasting at the extortion culture maintained, "we have so many taxation...so many individuals".
"This cannot sustain," Rio said virtually echoing what former Governor R N Ravi had said two years back and such a statement from the Governor had created differences between CM Rio and Mr Ravi, who is now Governor in Tamil Nadu.
"We want peace, we want settlement...and that voice should come from the public particularly the youth," Rio said.
"Naga struggle, I will say it is not a total failure," he said perhaps indicating to somewhat antagonistic stand taken by the NSCN (IM).
"It is a partial success already....Govt of India has recognised the earnestness of the Naga history" - the Chief Minister said who runs NDPP-BJP government and the dispensation recently got support of another regional party, NPF.
"The Government of India has recognised the Naga issue as political."
Addressing an election rally in Senapati town in poll-bound Manipur, Rio said Naga movement has already "partial success".
"Let the pending issues be discussed in future......time to sign a peace pact for whatever 80 percent of issues, those agreed upon" - he said in presence of other Naga leaders and candidates.
NPF is contesting 10 seats in Manipur. Rio is from NDPP and he has been invited to address election rally in support of NPF candidates.
"Today's elections (in Manipur) means a lot for regional parties," says CM Rio.
But he goes soft on BJP reminds the crowd in Senapati that NPF and NDPP are part of the BJP-led NDA
"I see no reason....why there can't be solution and peace - @Neiphiu_Rio in #Manipur elections
"I called Ibobi...Naga enemy No. 1 ...personally we are good friends...Law and order under Ibobi Singh was at the lowest especially in Naga areas"
"We hope good relations with BJP will continue...," says Rio lauding Maniput CM N Biren Singh for improving law and order situation
NPF leader and former #Nagaland CM @TRZeliang lauds #BJP chief minister @NBirenSingh ...says, Biren Singh has respect for Naga leaders and NPF representatives in #
#NPF in #Manipur elections target Modi says, the Prime Minister is a big liar.
#Manipur Elections crucial for Nagas in Manipur, says NPF leaders in campaign at Senapati "..it is for naga people to vote for NPF"
..... Last 10 years ...NPF entered Manipur assembly #AssemblyElections2022 NPF a symbol of communal harmony
#Nagaland CM @Neiphiu_Rio flays Congress leaders Ibobi Singh, @PChidambaram_IN and TR Zeliang praises #BJP CM @NBirenSingh
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| Namo: He can deliver |
Rio speaks against extortion, "Burden is so much on common people" - says CM Rio
"We have to seriously think.....otherwise there is no future" .
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