Cong asks Why no Naga solution during 13th Nagaland Assembly

Dimapur: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh on Saturday asked Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah that during the term of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, they would like to have Nagaland. What prevented the solution to the problem?

“Did they understand that 13 was an unlucky number,” Ramesh added.
At a press conference at the Congress Bhavan in Dimapur, he questioned Rio’s statement that the main issue in the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly would be the political settlement of the Nagas.

Elections to the 14th Nagaland Assembly will be held on February 27.
He said that BJP’s agenda in 2018 was election for a solution while NDPP chanted that change is coming, yet we are here.

The Congress leader said that various past PMs starting with PV Narasimha Rao, IK Gujral, Deve Gowda and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had pushed for Naga talks years ago but Modi could bring a framework agreement only in 2015.
The Congress veteran also pointed out that the details of the framework agreement drawn up by the Modi government in 2015 were kept secret.

“We never knew what was in it until the details started leaking, no official statement yet,” he said.
He said that the solution would have become a reality if his intentions were in the right place, given the type of majority of the party.

He further said that the ambiguity has increased during the eight years of the Modi government.

Ramesh said a peace deal should be consensual and acceptable to large groups like youth and civil society.
He emphasized that the solution should be based on upholding the dignity, pride and diversity of the Naga society and should be inclusive.

Ramesh said that real issues like water, health, electricity, education and jobs are not in the mind of BJP and NDPP.

He said that what they are calling development is actually extortion and people are afraid of it.
Ramesh urged Modi to take the people of Nagaland into confidence and discuss the real issues of the state.

Stating that only Congress will protect and promote Article 371(A) which is reserved for Nagaland, he reiterated that PM and HM should assure people not to tamper with Article 371(A). Will rather implement it.