The consultative meeting held on Wednesday at the State Banquet Hall, Kohima, where more than 150 representatives of various political parties, civil society organizations and intellectuals discussed two critical issues have yielded the expected results. The marathon meeting that lasted almost the whole day discussed the topics of Naga Peace Process and ULB elections after which the house unanimously adopted two resolutions. Initially, when the Government of Nagaland first called for the consultative meeting, the plan was to discuss four topics but was later trimmed down to two. The other two topics that were not discussed today were the contentious Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, 1989 and the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958.
The two topics discussed today are both very important issues facing Naga society. That Naga people want an early solution to the political problem is undeniable. The Naga people, especially the youths, are missing out on a lot of spheres in life and lagging behind others because of the unresolved problem. While Naga people remained entangled in the political quagmire looking for the elusive solution, the rest of the world galloped ahead by leaps and bounds.
The Naga political groups at the negotiating table must be aware of the contextual realities, of what is attainable and what is not. Both the Framework Agreement and Agreed Position signed between the Government of India and the Naga groups are in public domain now, and there is ample scope to find common ground and settle at a meeting point to solve the problem sooner than later. That is what Nagas long for. And that is what the consultative meeting echoed today. However, the NSCN(IM) and the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) must first sit together and hammer out the differences before inking the final agreement with the Government of India. The prospect of “One Solution, One Agreement” as espoused in the consultative meeting is unlikely to be realized so long as the two groups do not meet.
On the other topic of elections to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), it was a natural outcome that the house agreed to conduct the elections as per the provisions of the 74th Amendment Act of the Constitution of India. Whatever differences, opposition or apprehensions there may be, the Constitution prevails at the end. The debate on whether it infringes on Article 371(A) will remain, the precedence will be set, but the Constitution is supreme. Taxes will have to be collected in one form or the other, 33% reservation for women will have to be guaranteed, among other things, because the law says so. Under the given circumstances, it would augur well for the Naga people to learn to adapt than to oppose the 74th Amendment.