Seal peace pact before polls: Naga tribal body

New Delhi: The Naga Hoho, an apex Naga tribal body, on Sunday objected to the holding of Assembly elections in Nagaland in February before the insurgency issue in the state is resolved and indicated that it may ask political parties to boycott the polls.

A delegation of the Naga Hoho, which has been camping in the national capital for the last few days, met several central leaders, including home minister Rajnath Singh, and voiced its opposition to the polls before a peace pact between the Centre and the Naga rebel group NSCN-IM.

 “All tribals, civil society and political leaders have come together and said in once voice that they want a solution to the Naga issue before elections,” Naga Hoho president Chuba Ozukum said.

The 60-member Nagaland Assembly will go to polls on February 27 and the results will be declared on March 3.

Asked about their future course of action, Mr Ozukum said, “We will be compelled to ask candidates not to contest. At any cost, we do not want polls. The people of Nagaland want solution not elections.”

The Naga Hoho president said the home minister told them the Centre will continue its peace initiative in Nagaland, and asked them to cooperate in the election process. “The home minister said the Central government is committed to finding a political solution,” he said.

A final decision will be taken after consultations with political leaders and other civil society groups, he said. Earlier this month, the Naga Hoho had conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that for people a Naga peace accord was more important than elections and, therefore, it had become imperative to defer the polls for peace and tranquillity.

The NSCN-IM has been engaging in peace talks with the Centre’s interloc-utor since 1997 when it announced a ceasefire agreement after a bloody insurgency movement that began shortly after the country’s independence.

The insurgent group’s key demand to integrate the Naga-inhabited areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur has already been rejected by the Central government.

Nagaland governor P.B. Acharya had on September 19 said that the vexed Naga issue would be resolved within the next few months.