Nagaland Governor PB Acharya calls upon underground groups to shun violence

KOHIMA: Nagaland today celebrated the 67th Republic Day as Governor P B Acharya gave a call for NSCN(K) and other Naga underground groups to leave the path of violence.

Addressing the Republic day gathering in state capital, the Governor said that peace is a pre-requisite for economic growth and social well-being of the citizens and the framework agreement signed between the Centre and the NSCN(IM) on August 3, 2015 is a momentous development which deserves to be welcomed by all.

"This gives us a great opportunity to put the troubled process (behind) for a permanent solution," he said.

On the occasion, the Governor urged the NSCN(K) and other groups to leave the path of violence and return to the negotiating table.

NSCN(K) had broken the 14-year-old truce with Centre on March 27, 2015 and resorted to attack security personnel, which led to the Centre declaring the group as a banned organisation.

Maintaining that the Nagas have struggled for long, he further said decades of insurgency and associated violence have affected psyche of the people of the state.

"We must not allow the past to overwhelm us anymore...we must remember that just as conditions around us shape us, we also shape the environment around us," he said.

Acharya called upon the people of the state to seize this opportunity and surge ahead with optimism to usher into a peaceful environment.

On the law and order front, the Governor said, "The law and order situation has remained largely peaceful."

Acharya unfurled the national flag and also took salute from the 21 march past contingents from the armed and unarmed sectors as well as school students.

Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang also joined the celebration.

Zeliang's Cabinet ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries graced the occasion in all 11 district and sub-divisional headquarters.