Nagaland Govt asks employees to self declare about relatives in underground

The Naga peace process has taken a new turn with the Nagaland government trying to tackle the different Naga groups who consider them the very stakeholders of the process.

In a recent office memorandum issued by the Home Department, Government of Nagaland has instructed all Administrative Heads and Heads of the Departments to obtain information in self-declaration form from Government employees regarding family members and relatives in “underground organizations” and submit to the Home Department, Political Branch latest by August 7.

After Governor RN Ravi’s letter to Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio on law and order situation, the police and Assam Rifles have started busting militant hideouts and several cadres have been arrested with arms, ammunition, money and other incriminating documents.

Naga militant groups and civil society organizations have strongly reacted to the statement of Ravi, terming Naga militant groups as “armed gang”. The State Government has also rejected the Governor’s claim of deteriorating law and order situation.

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Earlier, the Naga Students Federation (NSF) said the recent letter of Nagaland governor RN Ravi, who is also the interlocutor of the Indo-Naga peace process, to chief minister Neiphiu Rio revealed the arrogant attitude and insincere approach of the Centre and its unwillingness to settle the Naga issue.

“The Central Government is in a ceasefire agreement with the Naga national political groups for more than two decades and the talks are reported to have concluded in October 2019 and accordingly the people are expecting an early political solution. The State Government feels that terming the organizations as “armed gangs” may not be in the interest of the peace process and may not be congenial to the achievement of lasting peace which is the desire of both the GoI and the State government. The State Government is of the view that with the signing of the 2015 Framework agreement and the conclusion of the negotiations on 31st Oct 2019, the issue of sustenance of the political organizations should have been discussed and resolved,” the State Government said recently.

The opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF) and the Congress have supported Ravi’s letter.

The NPF president Shürhozelie Liezietsu on July 5^th, 2020 said the Nagaland Governor RN Ravi’s wrote to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on the law and order situation in the state for the sake of the suffering public and not for his own gain or interest.

Making his observations on the letter, Liezietsu said the Governor has written the letter dwelling on the failures of the present government as he has a responsibility as the constitutional head of the state.

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