The core committee of a panel set up by the Nagaland government to pursue the Naga political issue has scheduled its meeting in Dimapur, the State’s commercial hub, on July 9.
The issue pertains to the peace agreement between the Centre and the Naga extremist groups. These groups are the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and the Naga National Political Groups comprising at least six armed outfits.
“All the members of the core committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Naga Political Issue have been asked to meet at 11 a.m. at the Chumukedima Police Complex, Dimapur, on July 9,” a Nagaland government spokesperson said.
“We hope to arrive at a solution or find the way forward to resolve the Naga political issue hanging fire for 23 years now,” he added.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is the convener of the parliamentary committee formed on June 10. Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton and former Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang are co-conveners while Land Revenue Minister Neiba Kronu is the member-secretary.
All the 60 MLAs of the State are members of the parliamentary committee.
Mr. Rio and Mr. Kronu represent the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and Mr. Patton the Bharatiya Janata Party. The NDPP rules Nagaland in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mr. Zeliang represents the opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF)
The core committee of the parliamentary panel has 15 MLAs as members. Five each are from the BJP and the NPF, four from the NDPP and one is an independent legislator.
The peace process had begun in mid-1997 when the NSCN (I-M) declared a ceasefire with New Delhi. The other groups followed since 2001 with the Khaplang faction reneging on the truce in March 2015.