Guwahati: The Council of Nagalim Churches (CNC), a body under the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), Tuesday appealed to all Nagas to observe fast and offer prayers for a “solution of the Indo-Naga political issue at the earliest”.
In a statement released by the CNC, all churches and prayer groups have been asked to observe a day of fasting and conduct a “Prayer of Agreement” on 4 October at 9 am “in all the Naga areas and abroad” to find an “honourable and acceptable solution to both sides based on the Framework Agreement”.
“Our destiny is in the hands of God,” Ikato Chisi Swu, the CNC general secretary, told ThePrint, referring to the ongoing Naga peace talks between the NSCN-IM leadership and the Centre.
“We believe our destiny is not in the hands of our adversaries or aggressors who have forcefully occupied our land and imposed their laws upon us. We want to have a good relationship with them, but not at the expense of our identity and principles,” said Ikato, the eldest son of the late Isak Chisi Swu, co-founder and chairman of the NSCN-IM.
Citing the Bible verse Mathew 18:19 — ‘Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven’, the statement read: “It is the duty of every responsible Naga Christian to continue to pray till the ultimate goal is achieved.”
It added: “… Because as it is said — It’s not over till it’s over.”
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‘Expecting a positive outcome’
Such appeals for prayers have also been made in the past to find an early solution to the Naga peace issue.
Asked if a solution is in sight by October as sources had earlier told ThePrint, Ikato said: “There is no fixed time and nothing is concrete, as of now. From our side, we have already submitted all competencies and are expecting a positive outcome.”
Talks between the two sides have been going on for 23 years without any conclusive solution. The NSCN-IM remains steadfast in its demand for a separate Naga national flag and constitution.
The NSCN-IM, considered to be the ‘mother of all insurgent groups’ in the Northeast, has been unofficially in talks with the government since 1994, while the formal talks began in only 1997.
In August 2015, the Indian government signed a framework agreement to seek a final solution with the NSCN-IM. The Centre had officially extended the scope of talks with seven Naga National Political Groups by signing a ‘Deed of Commitment’ three years ago.
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