New Delhi: Pressure seemingly mounting on both the Neiphiu Rio-led Nagaland government and also the Modi government to deliver ‘fast and concrete’ on 22-year old Naga peace talks, the peace interlocutor R N Ravi will be flying to the northeastern state on Tuesday and brief the state MLAs and other stakeholders on the developments in parleys.
Sources in the ruling BJP said here that the decision has been taken after Chief Minister Rio, who heads NDPP-BJP government in the state, pointed out to the central leadership in the saffron party that “some news about progress in talks” need to be shared with the people of the state as parliamentary polls are knocking the doors. “Mr Ravi is expected to meet the state legislators on Tuesday in state capital Kohima,” sources said.
The ‘delay’ in Naga talks has been figuring in the Nagaland assembly during the Budget session and also in state’s political circle with the opposition NPF under T R Zeliang trying to link the issue to the fast approaching Lok Sabha elections. “The Naga peace talks become a vital issue during poll time. It is again likely to dominate the scene though lone NDPP MP Tokheho participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address said in Lok Sabha that no final solution is on sight at least before the general elections,” a BJP source said. In 2018 assembly elections the Naga talks issue had figured prominently and there was ‘much pressure’ on the political parties to boycott the elections.
However, sources said the Chief Minister Rio told the state assembly last week that the Naga political issue was at the top of his government’s “agenda” and that he will take all possible measures to bring a congenial atmosphere that facilitates the political negotiations to be expedited. (UNI)
