Naga Bodies Seek Release of Political Prisoners

Dimapur, Nov 4 : The apex Naga civil bodies have resolved to request the Government of India to release all political prisoners, irrespective of Naga political group, from the custody of different agencies so as to strengthen both the entities for further political negotiations.

The decision was arrived at during a day-long closed door emergency consultative meeting of the Naga apex organisations under the aegis of the Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers Association and Naga Students’ Federation in Kohima recently.

Adopting a four-point recommendation for future reference and implementation thereof, the meeting decided to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister asking that the Centre must be more sincere and pragmatic in their approach towards bringing an honourable, beneficial and acceptable solution to the ongoing Indo-Naga political dialogue keeping in mind the Naga people’s yearning for permanent peace.

On the deferment of the proposed mass peace rally at Dimapur on October 26 owing to certain technical difficulties, the meeting strongly recommended that the said rally should be organised at the earliest in all the Naga areas based on the above cited perspectives.

It also recommended the convening of another round of consultative meeting comprising of academicians, politicians, social activists and representatives of Naga organisations to deliberate in depth over the phrase – ‘inclusiveness’ and to bring out a road map and mechanisms in the best interest of the Naga people.

The consultative meeting also strongly appealed to all Naga political groups to be realistic with regard to imposition of taxes on individuals and the business community as ‘we foresee the wrath of the people unless the pattern of tax collection is evaluated with all seriousness’.

Meanwhile, sources attending the meeting revealed that speakers representing the civil society had expressed serious concern over the imposition of ‘exorbitant taxation’ on the general public by the Naga groups while maintaining that Naga people have come to such a stage that they cannot move ahead because of the rampant and exorbitant taxation.

Moreover, the meeting is also stated to have deliberated on the prolonged ceasefire without results between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM and NSCN-K. The representatives reportedly voiced the need for all groups and Naga people to come together in order to carry forward the peace process with the Centre.