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Hundreds of Naga students marched through the streets of the national
capital to press for permanent peace in Nagaland.
The march was an attempt to make the Central Government aware about the
desire for normalcy and a political solution to the vexed Naga
problem.
"I cannot say that the Indian Government is not sincere. They have
assured the Naga collective leadership that they are serious and
sincere about solving the problem. Therefore for the last ten
years, the Naga people from the lowest to the highest have
supported the peace process," said Yeranshow, a spokesperson,
Naga Students' Union, Delhi.
Despite the appreciation for the government, people want the Centre to
show more flexibility in dealing with the Naga issues.
We are seeking a solution to the ongoing peace process. We appeal to the
Government of India to be serious with promises. The Government
of India never keeps up promises. They are never serious on the
issue of Naga talks, said one of the protesting students.
The criticism of the Central Government is aimed at achieving this noble
goal.
Students do not want the return of violence and a volatile political
situation back home. They have tasted peace and are reaping the
dividends of normalcy, and they want this feature to be part of
life in Nagaland.
It's really been dragging on for long, several decades now. So, we want a
speedy solution to the problem because the patience of the
people is running out, added another protesting student.
Naga Students's Union has submitted a Memorandum to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh seeking a political decision on the Naga problem.
The Union wants the government to reach a settlement keeping in mind the
principles of human rights, dignity, freedom, liberty, equality,
natural justice and democracy. The rally comes just few weeks
before the next round of the Naga peace process slated for this
month.
December 2007
Khumpila Anar is a freelance journalist and based in New Delhi. |
