NPF pulls out of forum after Naga talks ‘stalemate’

GUWAHATI: Naga People’s Front (NPF), the lone opposition party in Nagaland, has withdrawn from the Joint Legislators’ Forum (JLF) on the Naga political issue stating that the forum has failed to make any progress to resolve the stalemate.
The NPF Legislature Party at a meeting resolved that the party played an active role in resolving the Naga political issue at various stages for the last 23 years and asserted that it would continue to be “active facilitators” for seeking an early resolution.
The party, in a statement, said it had also volunteered to be part of the JLF with the hope that the efforts rendered towards the cause would be carried forward in letter and spirit. “But since reconstitution of the forum on September 18, 2018, the JLF has failed to make any progress due to the half-hearted approach of the present-day government,” it added.
NPF further said the “JLF has become a mere forum without any tangible roadmap for resolving the Naga political issue.”
All members of the assembly, which has 60 seats in total, are part of the JLF. The forum also has a 20-member core committee comprising five MLAs from NPF.
NPF added that the signing of the Framework Agreement between NSCN(IM) and Centre in August, 2015 and the Agreed Position between the NNPGs and the Centre in November, 2017 created a conducive atmosphere for the JLF to assist the peace process. “With utmost sincerity, legislators of the Naga People’s Front had put forth its proposition in almost all the JLF meetings that members in the forum should call upon the Prime Minister of India, the home minister and other central leaders in order to urge them in bringing the long-pending Naga political issue to a logical conclusion. However, the proposal has failed to see the light of the day till date,” it stated.
NPF said Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, along with Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, were called to Delhi by Union home minister Amit Shah on August 5 and they left for the national capital the next day on a chartered flight.