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Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party Chief Neiphiu Rio along with BJP leader and North East in-charge Ram Madhav met Governor PB Acharya on Sunday the 4th March to stake claim to form the next Government in Nagaland.
JD (U) and the Independent candidate Tongpang Ozukum have pledged their support to the Government.
The Naga issue is one of the oldest unresolved political problems that India has ever encountered. The seed of oneness and brotherhood among the Nagas can be said to be sowed with the formation of Naga Club in 1918. However, Naga Nationalism as a mass movement was only popularised by A.Z.Phizo with the formation of Naga National Council (NNC) in 1946, but the concept of Naga integration was visualized and propagated by Rungsung Suisa which was further popularized and conceptualized by Thuingaleng Muiva and Lt. Isak Chishi Swu. In the words of Muivah, “Integration is a must; without integration there will be no permanent solution”.
The UN enacted two important international covenants in 1966, namely, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Art.1 of the second covenant asserts: “All people have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they can freely determine their political status and pursue their economic, social and cultural rights”. The assertion of the Nagas as a culturally distinct community can definitely fit in this context as per the historical background. In fact, cultural diversity is the common heritage of humanity. Cultural diversity is as necessary for humanity as biodiversity is for nature. Isak Swu strongly stated that “Freedom is a gift of God and we will not choose anything before it”.
Rinmaya Kumrah
To read the further article please get your copy of Eastern Panorama March issue @http://www.magzter.com/IN/Hill-Publications/Eastern-Panorama/News/ or mail to contact @easternpanorama.in
