ITANAGAR, 18 Feb: The Nagas have urged the government of India to “peacefully consummate the Naga political issue with dignity and respect that is founded on Naga historical and political rights.”
The call has come in the form of the Kütsapo Proclamation, which was finalised at a gathering themed ‘Nurturing Naga peoplehood’, organised by the Naga Shisha Hoho and the Forum for Naga Reconciliation, from 16-18 February at Kütsapo village in Phek, Nagaland.
The theme of the gathering of participants from 160 prayer centres, churches, Naga cultural bodies, gaon burahs, Naga political groups, civil society organisations, state and public leaders, and citizens, was ‘Liberating the Naga spirit’.
The proclamation states that it will “uphold the ‘covenant of reconciliation’ signed on 13 June, 2009, through which violence ceased among the Naga political groups (and) we will continue to uphold this in words and actions.
“With this common sense of belonging, the Naga public calls on the Naga political groups to sincerely find ways to enter into genuine relationships of cooperation,” it reads.
It states that, “in order to transform to being self-determining people of free will, we call upon the government of India to revoke building fences that separate the people of same cultural groups. We further urge the GoI to peacefully consummate the Naga political issue with dignity and respect that is founded on Naga historical and political rights.”
It further appealed to the churches across the Naga areas to “humbly pray for peaceful resolution, reconciliation and unity, and the rebuilding of the Naga homeland.”
