The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has rejected former Nagaland Chief Minister Dr. S.C. Jamir’s reported call for President’s Rule in the state, while reiterating its demand for a political or ministerial-level mechanism to expedite the ongoing Naga political talks.
In a statement issued by its Press Bureau, the NPF said Nagaland has a democratically elected government with a mandate from the people and maintained that day-to-day administration and development activities continue to function.
The party was responding to remarks reportedly made by Jamir in Dimapur on September 12, in which he questioned the state of governance and called for President’s Rule. The NPF said such a demand undermines the democratic mandate of the people and argued that past instances of President’s Rule had neither brought stability nor advanced the Naga political issue.
On allegations that the state government has tilted towards a particular Naga armed group, the NPF said such claims were made without evidence. It reiterated its position of “equi-closeness” towards all sections of Naga society, contrasting it with the earlier policy of “equi-distance” followed during Jamir’s tenure.
The NPF also responded to criticism by the Concerned Naga Forum of Nagaland (CNFN) regarding the Political Affairs Committee (PAC). It said the PAC’s demand was not for fresh negotiations but for upgrading the handling of the Naga political talks to the political or ministerial level.
According to the NPF, the demand emerged from a consultative meeting involving civil society organisations, tribal bodies, intellectuals and elected representatives, where the need for a political-level interlocutor was raised to expedite the peace process.
The party claimed that since the departure of former interlocutor R.N. Ravi, the talks have been handled at the bureaucratic or Advisor level and that there is a need for a political representative with the mandate to address the remaining issues.
On Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s announcement regarding a proposed ministerial-level committee, the NPF said Rio had earlier led a high-level delegation, including members of the PAC sub-committee and the state’s two Lok Sabha MPs, to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
The NPF claimed that the Union Home Minister had given a positive assurance regarding a ministerial team and said the Chief Minister subsequently conveyed the matter through the media and in the state Assembly.
Defending the legitimacy of the PAC, the NPF said it comprises political parties with elected representatives in the government as well as the two MPs, and maintained that its role was to facilitate an inclusive and honourable settlement to the Naga political issue.
The party reiterated its call for an early, honourable, inclusive and acceptable solution to the Naga political issue, stating that the process requires political-level engagement from the Centre.
