Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 19
FOLLOWING THE decision of the Neiphiu Rio led DAN Government to dissolve and replace the Sub-Committee for Peace; the proposed new forum will now have a broader representation of all political parties including the main Opposition Congress.
The Joint Legislators’ Committee for Peace will also consist of members from frontline Naga NGOs to attain a greater level of transparency and effectiveness in its role as a facilitating entity in the Naga peace process. The Consultative Committee for peace would remain the umbrella entity under which the Joint Legislators’ Committee for Peace would append, State Legislators informed.
The decision to dissolve the said sub-committee was part of the 4-point resolution adopted during the scheduled joint meeting of the Consultative Committee for Peace and the DAN Sub-Committee for Peace held yesterday at the Chief Minister’s Residential Office.
Nagaland Minister for Industries & Commerce H. Khekiho Zhimomi said that the Joint Legislators’ Committee for Peace was a “healthy suggestion” from the Opposition Congress to include all parties and Naga tribal organizations irrespective of political affiliation or ideological leanings.
“An encompassing forum such as the Joint Legislators’ Committee for Peace was a healthy suggestion from the Opposition Congress party which we accepted. Even the government felt the need to include all parties irrespective of their stand or political affiliations in the peace process so the Sub-committee (for Peace) was dissolved to pave way for the legislators’ committee to facilitate more transparency and effectiveness,” Minister Zhimomi said.
To a query on whether the position of the Consultative Committee for Peace after the dissolution of the sub-appendage would be annulled or dissolved, the Minister disclaimed any such possibility and said that the CCP was still relevant and would continue to be the umbrella ‘organization’ to oversee the Joint Legislators’ Committee for Peace. “No, it is not been dissolved or its position annulled. The CCP is, in fact, the umbrella organization under which the legislators’ committee will function” Zhimomi informed, adding that the modalities for the official instatement of the newly formed body was underway. He also expressed confidence that the new committee would serve its purpose effectively ‘just like the sub-committee had done earlier.’
Minister for Urban Development Dr Shurhozelie also welcomed the development and stressed on the Committee’s stated purpose to achieve a greater level of productive effort by including all political parties and Naga civil societies in the state. However he cautioned against being too ‘emotional’ and ‘fighting’ issues in newspapers. “We know the Naga NGOs are playing a very important role but we should not be too emotional since the Naga issue is a common issue. Paper fights will not help the situation. All of us should act responsibly” he said.
One State Legislator, on condition anonymity, expressed unhappiness with the Naga Hoho and the Naga Students Federation (NSF) for being partial in its approach to the Naga Peace process. “The Naga Hoho and the NSF are going beyond their line. They should approach the Naga Peace process with a holistic approach and not isolate one group in favor of the other” the Legislator said adding that the Government was facing problems due to the NGOs identifying themselves ‘too much’ with only the NSCN (IM) and that other Naga underground groups were being isolated from the ‘ambit of the peace process.’
