CM asks prime minister to form interim govt in Nagaland

A delegation of the NSCN-IM is in the national capital to hold talks on contentious issues including the possibility of an interim government if both sides agree to settle various pending issues.

Nagaland Chief Minister Niephiu Rio is believed to have proposed to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to form an interim government in Nagaland. The chief minister has asked the PM to take representatives from all factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland outfits and hold the state Assembly elections after a gap of at least a year or two to restore permanent peace and stability in the state.

During his closed-door meeting with the prime minister on June 27, Rio is reported to have readily offered to resign at any point of time for the interest of peace and stability in Nagaland. Rio pointed out that even in Mizoram when the underground Mizo National Front signed an agreement with the government of India on June 30, 1986, the incumbent Chief Minister Lalthanhawla resigned to establish peace in the state. Within a span of one year Assembly elections were held and the MNF led government headed by late Laldenga was constituted.

Significantly, the peace talks are going on between the government of India and the NSCN (IM) for the last 14 years. There are positive reactions from both the NSCN (IM) leadership as well as from the government of India. It is in this context the chief minister of Nagaland has made this offer to resolve the Naga political issue by the end of this year itself. Significantly, the Assembly elections in Nagaland is scheduled for March, 2013.

A senior government official in the Nagaland government told Vision Communications on condition of anonymity, "If both the NSCN-IM and the government of India reaches into an agreement and resolve all contentious issues and if two other factions approves the terms of accord, the Assembly elections will be postponed and the interim government will be formed by late this year or early next year."

Meanwhile, in another development a 13-member delegation of NSCN-IM arrived in the national capital to hold talks with the collective leadership on some of the contentious issues including the possibility of an interim government if the both sides agreed to settle various pending issues.

It is reliably learnt that Naga areas in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam will not be incorporated with the existing boundary of Nagaland. But the Naga inhabited areas of neighbouring states will get Autonomous Council status with direct funding from the Centre for the development projects as well as for the promotion of their tradition and culture.

A senior official working at the Centre on deputation told Vision Communications that all the states and some District Councils are already getting direct funds from the Centre to execute different flagship programme launched by the Central government. They are not passed in the state budget. Similarly the Autonomous District Councils can get direct funds from the Centre.

However, the NSCN (Kholey-Kitovi) faction General Secretary Kitovi N Zimomi categorically stated that "we don't know anything till date about any interim government or what exactly transpired between the NSCN-IM and the government of India. Once the term of the proposed agreement are placed before us we will examine and also place our demands. If everything goes well, together we can settle all the pending issues."

Vision Communications