Kohima: Naga Peace Talks Interlocutor R N Ravi on Tuesday called upon Naga people, including the Naga armed groups, to be united to achieve a solution and asserted that the Centre is serious to find a solution to the decades old Naga political issue.
“My most extreme concern is the fact that Naga society is divided and the biggest challenge is how to forge that unity,” he said while speaking on the eighth day of the cultural extravaganza of Hornbill Festival at the Naga Heritage village Kisama here.
He appealed to the Naga people to “please extend the unity beyond culture… extend it to other facets of Naga life”. Seeing the spirit of cultural unity, he said “Naga unity is not impossible”, he said. As an interlocutor, Ravi said he is immensely encouraged by the spirit of unity displayed through the celebration with the coming together of the diverse Naga culture.
“We are at a historic opportunity… the moment is historic,” he said while maintaining that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who has deep respect and enormous regard for Naga people is determined to resolve the Naga political issue.
“He (Modi) has made explicitly clear that resolution of the Naga issue has to be on the principle of equality and mutual understandings and respect”, Ravi said.
“There cannot be better foundational principle than this on which the whole hope of solution is build. But to achieve this it is very important to be united,” he said. Ravi also maintained that this foundational principle had been enunciated in the Framework Agreement of August 3, signed between the NSCN(IM) and Centre. (PTI)
