Former NPCC president and also Congress candidate in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, K.V.Pusa asserted that Article 371(A) of the constitution of India which guaranteed protection of the rights of Naga people, was an agreement of accession to the Indian union.
Reacting to the intention of the BJP-led NDA government to repeal of Article 370 for J&K, Pusa said Article 371(A) was an “article of faith and accession of Nagas to the Indian union” . He said any attempt to rewrite or abrogate it would tantamount to “abrogation” of the agreement in 1960 also known as the 16-Point Agreement.
He said parties engaged in dialogue to find an honourable and acceptable solution to the Naga political problem, would be above Article 371(A). Any solution below the 16-Point Agreement would not only complicate the Naga issue but amount to betrayal, he said. According to Pusa, the Naga issue has to be resolved with the consent and wishes of the Naga public and not clubbed with any other issue since it was a genuine political issue that eluded settlement for decades.
On news reports that NSCN (I-M) leaders Isak Chishi Swu and Th.Muivah would opt for a Mizoram-type solution, Pusa reiterated that the Naga issue cannot be compared with the Mizo issue in any manner.
Pusa also congratulated former colleague T.R.Zeliang on assuming office as chief minister of Nagaland. He expressed the hope that he would deliver the goods to the people who have been neglected for over a decade. Pusa also urged upon the chief minister to protect the secular fabric of Naga society so that all sections lived in peace and harmony.
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