Guwahati: The Central government has made a promise to the people of Nagaland that it is committed to finding an early solution to the decade-old Naga political issue, Home Minister Amit Shah has said.
Shah further spoke about the commitment by the Centre to the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) that after the assembly elections (February 27), their demands would be discussed by the Centre and the Nagaland government jointly.
Appreciating the ENPO’s withdrawal of the vote boycott call, the Home Minister said, “The NDPP-BJP coalition government would again return to power and then all Naga problems would be solved.”
“Whatever is needed, like budgetary allocations, more rights to the council, equal development, the new NDPP-BJP government would work on these matters. I want to tell the people of eastern Nagaland that solutions to your problems are not far away,” he added.
The influential Naga body, ENPO, after getting an assurance from the Home Minister on February 4, withdrew its call to boycott the February 27 Assembly polls in support of its demand for a separate ‘Frontier Nagaland’ state.
Addressing an election rally in Nagaland’s Mon town, Shah said that the next NDPP-BJP government in association with the Central government would resolve various Naga issues.
The NDPP-BJP is contesting the election to the 60-seat Nagaland assembly in a 40-20 seat-sharing formula.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Ministry are aware of Naga problems and the emotions of the Naga people and with all respect, all the issues will be dealt with,” said Shah.
The Home Minister asserted that incidents of extremists violence in the entire Northeast region have gone down by 70 per cent, and from the 60 per cent areas of the northeast, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was withdrawn.