The Naga Rising calls for ‘People’s Platform’ ahead of critical peace consultation

The Naga Rising has issued a call for the establishment of a ‘People’s Platform’ ahead of a critical consultation organized by the Government of Nagaland on September 12, 2024. The organization emphasized that this meeting is an opportunity to move beyond the practice of passing resolutions and instead frame a collective response that presents a clear plan of action.

The forthcoming consultation on September 12 will gather representatives from various organizations across Nagaland, aiming to harness collective wisdom to forge a path forward. The Naga Rising has previously articulated its stance on the peace process, notably during a public consultation held on March 8, 2022. Their key points include:

They support an early resolution as desired by the Naga masses. The solution must be honorable, in line with the repeated assurances given by the Government of India (GoI) to the Naga public since the initiation of peace talks 25 years ago. Negotiations should follow a ‘give and take’ approach, ensuring that any agreement is mutually acceptable to both the GoI and the Naga Political Groups (NPGs), rather than being imposed.

The organization also backs the GoI’s clear assertion that there is only one peace process, which is inclusive and that eventually there will be only one agreement stating that Naga issue cannot be fragmented.

In light of the current impasse in the peace process, they proposed a mechanism to facilitate a peaceful, inclusive, and honorable solution, advocating that the NPGs adopt a unified approach while setting aside their intractable differences.

The Naga Rising urged the august gathering to seriously consider the formation of a ‘People’s Platform’ with representatives from all sections of Naga society with the mandate to mediate and take forward the peace initiative towards the signing of a single agreement.

MT