'Right of Nagas to be fought for without confronting Centre'

KOHIMA: With the Centre rejecting the state government floating the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules 2012, the Assembly members today arrived at a consensus to uphold the right of Nagas on ownership of land and its resources as enshrined in Article 371(A) of the Constitution.


Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Congress Legislature Party leader Tokheho Yepthomi supported by other members in the 60-member House took part in the special discussions maintaining that they would continue to fight for the rights of Nagas, but without confrontation with the Centre.

Rio said that the state did not want to have any confrontation with the Centre, but would seek its cooperation.

He said that two points of the 16-Point Agreement signed between the Centre and the Naga People's Convention which gave special status to the Naga people, had not been implemented and now the Centre government through the MHA and Ministry of Petroleum was putting Article 371 (A) into question.

This, the chief minister said, Nagas could not accept and therefore it was necessary that the Assembly send a Naga delegation to talk to the Centre and Union Ministries to clear constitutional provisions granted to the people.

CLP Leader Tokheho Yepthomi claimed that the Opposition members too fully supported the rights of the Nagas as guaranteed by Article 391(A) of the Constitution.

"Let us steadily find the ways without being emotion to protect ourselves without provoking the Centre," he said.

Speaker Chotisuh Sazo, who had allowed the special discussion, announced that the draft resolution should be laid before members on Monday for finalisation.