The Nagaland Public Action Committee (NPAC) along with several tribal bodies and civil organisations held a meeting today at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur and the groups have unanimously resolved to call for a state-wide bandh on 14 January to express their resentment over the inordinate delay of the deliverance of the long-awaited Naga political solution as promised by the Government of India (GoI).

The bandh will take place from 6am to 12 noon on Saturday.

The civil voices particularly the 14 Naga tribes of Nagaland, Nagaland Tribe Council, Nagaland Gaon Bura Federation, CNTC, ACAUT, CNCCI, Ex-PAN, SCAN, political parties and many others have expressed their stand loud and clear that the Nagas want solution before elections.

The demand for solution before election is a consensus demand of the primary stake holders.

The NPAC has once again urged the highest authority of the GoI to heed the voice of the people and to take the peace process to its logical conclusion and deliver a solution.

The meeting also expressed deep displeasure at the way the NPAC volunteers were bullied by the Nagaland police on 6 January during the visit of the Union Home Minister.

It said the volunteers were peacefully displaying banners portraying slogans demanding solution to the vexed Naga political issue before election. However, the state police force began seizing all the banners and dispersing the volunteers while admitting that they had orders from the highest office of the state which, according to the meeting, proved a double standard colour and insincerity.

The meeting expressed deep displeasure at the way the NPAC volunteers were treated by the Nagaland police on 6 January. (File photo)

Furthermore, it stated that the government of the day has also been expressing the desire for an early Naga solution.

Should the peace process land in a debacle now, the meeting stated that whoever sabotages such democratic demonstrations shall be held responsible.

“The Naga people are now in a crossroad. Nagas need to stand firm and prove our conviction on the demand for final solution coming out clear ‘for’ or ‘against’ akin to threshing in order to separate grains and chaffs,” it said.

NPAC Convenor Theja Therieh stated that the message of ‘Solution before election’ is very loud and clear because the 14 Naga tribes have also given their stand that they will not compromise.

“We have all expressed our opinion in the line of solution and not election and in that line, NPAC have decided to carry the voice to GoI that at the moment it is not conducive to go for elections if GoI wants to do democratic exercise. If ECI wants us to participate in the election then they have to create a conducive atmosphere. They also have to usher in peace and they have to prepare in ground so that people will be happy to participate,” added Therieh.

He maintained that people cannot participate in the elections without a free mind and that the people are being constrained. This promise of solution has been taken so much and it has taken a toll on the people. 26 years of negotiations actually has put the people in a difficult position, he said.

Therieh also said if solution cannot be delivered it is because the GoI has no political will to deliver. If they have no political will, then there is no need to talk about solution, he added.

“This talk for the last 26 years should end and it should be recalled and let the people decide whatever they want and we should be able to overcome all these situations but GoI in the garb of ushering peace, bringing solution, they cannot take people for a ride. It is a deciding moment and we want to send a clear message that we want solution and not election.”

The convenor also informed that the Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO) was not invited to today’s meeting since they were engaged in talks with the MHA team in Guwahati. However, the decision of today’s meeting has been communicated to the organization, Therieh said and added that the ENPO president has given his assurances to discuss with the ENPO’s executives and revert to the NPAC.

“ENPO situation and our situation, we are in the same page and that is why we want solution to the ENPO before the election. We want Naga political solution before election,” Therieh said.

During the eve of the 2018 state general elections, the Core Committee of the Nagaland Tribal Hohos and Civil Organisations (CCNTHCO) – a conglomeration of tribal bodies and civil society organisations – had come under the banner of ‘Solution before Election’ seeking completion of the ongoing negotiations between the central government and the Naga Political groups before holding the polls in the state.

However, their demand was compromised with the slogan from the BJP party ‘Election for Solution’ and till date the promise remains unfulfilled.