Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
If a routine and so-called courtesy meeting...there is no big deal but PM Narendra Modi has good reasons to summon and meet #Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio. Of course Rio heads a NDPP-BJP regime in Nagaland -- now for five years and eight months.
Moreover, the NDPP is a "trusted BJP ally" and after Zoramthanga's exit as Chief Minister of Mizoram, now Rio is the senior most CM in the northeast. So must deliver on Peace talks. Needless to add, Assam or any leader from Assam need not interfere.
The meeting comes within a fortnight, veteran Naga leader S C Jamir wrote a letter to the Prime Minister after recent assembly election results came in and the former Gujarat Governor and ex-CM has stated: "I am assuring you, in all my sincerity, your (Narendra Modi's) name will be recorded in golden letters in Naga history if a peace pact is inked now".
Jamir also tried to counsel the Prime Minister to take a final call on Naga peace talks in next two months.
"I will only be repeating myself that before your second term ends -- in fact in next two months - you can take a final call to bring an end to the Naga issue," Jamir had stated.
From many quarters, Rio and his government was alleged to be going slow on peace process as so-called 'status quo' would suit the incumbent ministers and legislators. Elections were held in Nagaland in February 2023 and NDPP-BJP had stormed to power rather easily.
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| Blogger and Nagaland Governor La Ganesan 'also keen for a peace pact' |
There is a need to understand the importance of Naga peace talks.
PM Narendra Modi was to address a poll rally in Mamit, around 80 km from Mizoram capital Aizawl, on October 30. But he had to opt out from the programme as for a rare occasion the 'popular' Prime Minister
staying away from Mizoram in the election season actually left a very powerful message.
MNF leader and the then Mizoram CM Zoramthanga -- apparently playing back to his own vote bank gallery - refused to share a stage with PM Modi during the campaign for assembly elections.
"The people of Mizoram are all Christians. When the people of Manipur (Meities) burned hundreds of churches in Manipur, they were (Mizos) totally against that kind of idea. To have sympathy with the BJP at this time will be a
big minus point for my party," Zoramthanga told BBC News in an interview.
"It will be better if the prime minister comes alone and he shares the platform by himself, and I take the stage separately by myself," Zoramthanga had said. One could not be more bitter about a Prime Minister in office.
This also brings us to a crucial aspect of politico-administration in the northeast.
The North East tribal Christians will be more than delighted to see a Solution to the pending Naga issue, and it is thus the Salvation route for the Prime Minister vis-a-vis the anguish among the people in the region.
The Kuki-Meitei conflict in Manipur in 2023 had made northeast people especially tribals and Christians raise eyebrows against the BJP and also against the saffron-party led Manipur government and even the centre.
Even otherwise, the Manipur violence is a major issue the opposition parties have flagged off against Modi and his government.
Even the latest row over parliament security breach is being linked to Manipur violence vis-a-vis inept handling of the sensitive situation.
Hence observers feel PM Modi should wake up and take a final call on the Naga peace talks -- which was near the signing stage in October 2019.
Things have been late already; and the Government of India has to blame itself for trusting absolutely 'wrong people'.
In fact, to many the NDPP-BJP regime is actually a liability the centre is shouldering at the cost of many things including personal image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Prime Minister is still very much popular and BJP's trump card; but Modi's "silence" on Manipur and his "inability" to visit poll-bound Mizoram are too serious developments to ignore.
The 'non performance' by stakeholders in Nagaland is also a case of wrong doing. And they are will-full defaulters, maybe ?
It's high time, PM gets up; understand the message of alarm bell ringing and take his final call on Naga peace talks.
R N Ravi, now Governor of Tamil Nadu, during his stint as Nagaland Governor and peace negotiator, had done the spade work for a solution. He was also instrumental in bringing NNPG - an umbrella body of seven militant groups - to the negotiating table in 2017.
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| Kitovi : NNPG |
NGBF appeals PM Modi to execute Naga Agreement before New Year
The Naga village elders' body Gaon Burrah Federation maintained that based on the assurance of the Prime Minister given to the Federation on August 3, 2017, all the Naga political groups came together under the umbrella of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) and its working Committee (WC) was invited for negotiations in September 2017.
Following this, WC-NNPGs conducted two year formal talks with the Government of India (Gol) interlocutor RN Ravi, having first entered into an Agreed Position on the mechanism, process and nature of peace talks.
“This is your time and we, as representatives of Nagas at a grassroots level in towns and villages would urge your good self to ensure that the Naga Agreement is signed implemented in Nagaland at the earliest for an enduring peaceful future in the North-East,” it appealed.
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