Nagaland speaker, ruling PDA appeal to NPF not to withdraw from legislators' forum on Naga pol issue

Nagaland Assembly Speaker Sharingain Longkumer and ruling People's Democratic Alliance(PDA) have appealed to opposition NPF to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Joint Legislators' Forum (JLF) on Naga political issue.

Nagaland Assembly Speaker Sharingain Longkumer and ruling People's Democratic Alliance(PDA) have appealed to opposition NPF to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Joint Legislators' Forum (JLF) on Naga political issue. The speaker has written to NPF legislature party leader T R Zeliang urging him to review his party's decision and sent a copy of the resolution adopted in a meeting of the PDA lawmakers held on Thursday.

"It has taken 23 long years for all the stakeholders to arrive at the present situation wherein we have all witnessed significant progress. "At such a crucial juncture let us continue to support and proactively facilitate with all stakeholders through the JLF," Longkumer said in his letter.

PDA during its meeting extended its support to the peace process as an active facilitator to create an atmosphere that is conducive for a political solution to the issued. It welcomed the Centre's initiative to resume the Indo-Naga political dialogue with "utmost seriousness in the collective endeavor for a political solution that will pave the way for peace, progress and all-round development", according to the resolution.

The ruling party extended its support to the peace process as an active facilitator to create an atmosphere that is conducive for a political solution to the issue, it said. "The PDA also appealed to the NPF Legislature Party to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Joint Legislators' Forum in the greater interest of Naga society, so that we continue to set aside all differences and rise above party affiliations in order to strive towards the realization of the people's desire which is lasting and genuine peace," the resolution said.

The PDA resolution was signed by its partners - NDPP President Chingwang Konyak and state BJP president Temjen Imna Along. The NPF Legislature Party had on Tuesday decided to withdraw its members from the JLF on the Naga political issue, stating that it failed to make any progress to resolve the imbroglio due to the half-hearted approach of the present-day government.

The NPF alleged that the JLF has become a "mere forum" and failed to prepare any tangible roadmap for resolving the Naga political issue. All members of the 60-seat Assembly are part of the JLF. The forum also has a 20-member core committee, comprising of five NPF MLAs.