Peace need of the hour: Rio

Chief minister Neiphiu Rio Friday said the need of the hour in Nagaland was peace and the government was making every effort to respond to the people’s “thirst for peace.”
“The people are crying for peace and reconciliation so that we can all live together under an atmosphere of understanding and harmony where progress and development are allowed to be accelerated,” Rio said in his address at the NPF’s central executive committee meeting.
He said the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of DAN was diligently working towards bringing about understanding among various groups and organizations. “The PAC is making encouraging headway and reaching out to all sections in order to bring understanding and oneness within the Naga family,” the chief minister said.
Rio urged upon the party organisation to extend full support to the PAC in every possible way and provide all logistical assistance whenever necessary.
The chief minister also said that running a government in troubled times under the shadow of an unresolved political issue, coupled with a strong national movement, was always a difficult task.
“In this mission, as a party in power, the party organisation and its ranks must consider ourselves as partners of the Government in any given situation. The party must extend all its cooperation and assistance to the government machinery and all government agencies in order to ease the burden of the administration and the law enforcing agencies,” he added.
Meanwhile, the chief minister also called upon party workers to gear up for the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. NPF president Dr. Shurhozelie in his address congratulated the chief minister for his “dynamic leadership” in dealing with the manifold problems.
“During the last five and half months of this second term, the Government has done a great deal particularly in creation of thousands of posts for our youth by way of getting one IRB Battalion, one Women Battalion sanctioned by the Government of India,” Shurhozelie said.
Earlier the function was chaired by secretary general NPF, Chubatemjen Ao.