Dimapur, Mar 24: Amid the prolonged Naga peace process, the Rising People’s Party (RPP) has called on the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) to step forward and take charge of negotiations. Rejecting claims that MLAs are bound by constitutional limitations, the RPP pointed to India’s own history of constitutional reforms, arguing that the Naga peace talks can be pursued within the framework of the Indian Constitution.
In a statement, the party asserted that the belief that elected representatives are incapacitated from leading the Indo-Naga political settlement due to their oath to the Constitution reflects a limited understanding of constitutional possibilities. The RPP argued that India’s pre-independence political movements, particularly the Indian National Congress (INC), operated both within and outside the system to push for change.
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The party highlighted that before independence, the INC was both a movement and a political party. While several political parties participated in the elections held under the Government of India Act, 1919, the INC initially chose to stay out. However, by 1934, it contested the Central Legislative Assembly elections, with Jawaharlal Nehru himself serving as a nominated member in 1945. The RPP drew parallels with this approach, suggesting that Nagaland’s MLAs can similarly work within the existing system to achieve constitutional reforms.
Emphasizing that both the “Agreed Position” and the “Framework Agreement” are drafts of constitutional reforms within India’s legal framework, the party compared the current situation to the constitutional evolution under British rule. It pointed out that incremental reforms through the Government of India Acts of 1909, 1919, and 1935 eventually led to the Indian Independence Act of 1947.
The RPP urged MLAs to view themselves not just as politicians but as nationalists committed to the Naga cause, much like the 12 Democratic Party MLAs who resigned in 1964. The party maintained that the Constitution of India is a “flexible organism” and that elected leaders should not let perceived constraints hinder them from taking a leadership role in the peace talks.