Dimapur, April 3: Naga Hoho president M. Vero today said the search for a political solution to insurgency in Nagaland should not be affected by the success or failure of efforts to unite warring factions.
Addressing a seminar here on ?Reconciliation, peace and unity?, the man who heads the apex organisation of Naga tribes said ?internal issues? must be dealt with separately to ensure that the pace of the ongoing political dialogue does not slacken.
Vero?s statement marks a departure from the popular view that the Naga peace process will remain a one-sided affair until the entire community speaks in one voice. ?If those of us who are working ceaselessly for reconciliation are not motivated by any political scheme or agenda, both peace and unity will be achieved. But I believe the search for a political solution must not be delayed for reconciliation between Naga factions,? the Naha Hoho chief said.
Distinguishing between the Hoho-led campaign for reunification of warring Naga factions and the dialogue between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M), Vero said the first was ?an independent, parallel process to heal and strengthen the relationship between Naga groups? while the other was a strictly political process. However, the Naga Hoho leader warned that the search for a solution to the Naga political problem might not yield the desired result in the absence of a common desire in the Nagas. ?Even if it succeeds, the euphoria may not last,? he said.
Vero claimed the Naga Hoho-compiled White Paper on ?Naga integration (integration of Naga areas under a single political entity)? had evoked a positive response from all sections of the community. ?We have started the groundwork for reconciliation by forming a co-ordination committee,? he added.
The Naga Hoho president also announced a campaign to foster friendly relations between ?neighbouring communities?. He said the Hoho was looking forward to a visit by a delegation of the Asam Sahitya Sabha later this year. Backed by the Church, the Naga Hoho had launched the ?Naga reconciliation and integration movement? in Kohima on December 20, 2001 in the presence of leaders of 38 Naga tribes from Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.