The core team of the parliamentary committee had requested the NNPGs not to engage in “paper war” with the other groups or with any political party so that the interlocutor would have a “free mind” in arriving at a conclusion.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
The Core Committee of Parliamentary Committee on “Naga Political Issue” on Monday met the representatives of the seven Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) at Rhododendron Hall, Police Complex, Chumoukedima.
UDA chairman, TR Zeliang, after the closed door meeting with the seven NNPGs informed media persons that Monday’s meet was the 2nd meeting on the protracted Naga political issue. He said that the core committee of the parliamentary committee had requested the NNPGs not to engage in “paper war” with the other groups or with any political party so that the interlocutor would have a “free mind” in arriving at a conclusion.
TR Zeliang also said that in the meeting he has informed the NNPGs that the Nagaland chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, deputy chief minister, Y Patton, and himself are heading to Delhi on March 10 to meet the central leaders including the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, so as to discuss with them what best the Central government was thinking for the Naga solution.
Informing that with a commitment the three leaders would come back from Delhi and talk to the two negotiating groups so that they come together across the table and discuss and also agree to come to a conclusion, Zeliang disclosed it to the media persons that was the Core committee had requested to the 7 NNPs in the meeting.
On being asked on the speculation that the interlocutor to convened a meeting with the 7 NNPGs or the NSCN (IM), the UDA chairman said he was not aware of it but the interlocutor was suppose to meet Nagaland chief minister, deputy chief minister, and him in the first week of January this year but because of the elections the meeting could not be materialized. He further said that for these reasons, the trio are flying to Delhi to meet the union home minister so that they could hear the “last word” what best the Indian government could offer to the Nagas.
Meanwhile, NNPG leader Isaac Sumi told media persons that the meeting was which “free and frank” was “very fruitful” without any reservation and added that the main discussion was to find means and ways to push forward the Naga peace process on bringing a logical conclusion to the Naga issue at the earliest. He further added that Monday’s meet was primarily the discussion about exploring “means and ways” in order to have a fruitful culmination of the entire peace process.