Governor K Sankaranarayanan takes the salute during the Republic Day function in Kohima. (Morung Photo)
Kohima : Nagaland Governor K Sankaranarayanan today called upon the people to strengthen the peace process to find an amicable solution to the six decade old Naga political problem.
Unfurling the National tri-colour at the Republic Day celebration here at the Secretariat Plaza, the Governor said Ceasefire with the NSCN and the ongoing peace talks and negotiations to resolve the Naga political problem had given new hope to all. He called it “a hope for resolution of conflicts and ensuring that creative energy of our youth is channelised for the growth and development of the state”.
Stating that the church, the civil society, NGOs, the Political Affairs Committee of DAN, the Forum of Naga Reconciliation, and the GB and DB Association, have given a clarion call for Naga unity and reconciliation and cessation of factional clashes, he said such processes have to be strengthened and that “we have to ensure that there is a spirit of positive cooperation amongst the people.”
“The response of the underground groups need to be appreciated and we have confidence that they will continue to heed the call of the people for cessation of hostilities and show utmost restraint in order to create better understanding and oneness in our society,” he said. The Governor gave a clarion call to the people of the state to rededicate themselves to the principles of democracy and to strive to seek solutions to the problem through peaceful means.
Stating that “our Constitution has enshrined the principle of welfare state as one of the directive principles for our polity,” the Governor said peace is an essential requirement to attain such objective. “Our motto has been ‘Peace for Development and Development for Peace’,” he said adding that peace and development are two sides of the same coin. The maintenance of law and order and securing the life and property of the citizens are the prime objectives and responsibility of the government, he said, adding that with a strong expression of desire for peace from every concerned citizen, “we have to ensure that factional clashes amongst the UGs do not take place, and citizens have a feeling of safety and security.”
With the new ‘Look East’ policy of the Government of India, and the recent adoption of NE Vision 2020 by the NEC, he said the state now has the unique opportunity to move forward with the rest of the country and take its due part in the rapidly growing economy of “our nation”, and realise its aspirations for a developed and vibrant Nagaland. “We have now not only a right to dream, but also an opportunity to realise those dreams,” Sankaranarayanan said.
Congratulating the people of Nagaland for bagging the United Nations Award in the area of public service in 2008, the Governor said, “Our experiments of grassroot developments through VDB and communitisation have been recognised the world over.” He expressed optimism that the policy would continue to improve governance and delivery of public service.
On the power sector, he opined that the gap between demand and supply could be brought down by harnessing our hydel potential, and informed that the government was contemplating taking up a number of new hydro-electric projects including Dikhu, Tizu-Zunki, Yangu, Tapuki Tulo, Lang, Tehok and Doyang stages two and three. He also mentioned that development plans for 10 district headquarter towns were being prepared, in order to meet the challenges of urbanisation.
Touching on information technology and e-governance, the Governor said youths are being trained in IT, ITeS and BPO skills under the year of capacity building. In the agriculture and horticulture sector, the department has formulated a district Agriculture Plan for each district under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas and also drawn up the State Agricultural Plan. Under Horticulture Technology Mission, the department has taken up commercial cultivation of crops such as citrus, passion fruit, pineapple, banana and other plantation crops, he added.
The Governor also highlighted the developmental programmes being taken up by the departments of irrigation, education, health & family welfare, public health and engineering.