Nagaland celebrates statehood day; CM Rio calls for early solution of Naga political issue
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Friday greeted the people on 61st Statehood Day and reiterated his government's strong commitment to facilitate for a peaceful resolution of the long pending Naga political issue. Nagaland was created as the 16th State of the Union of India and as the second state of the North East Region after being bifurcated from Assam on December 1, 1963.
Participating in the Statehood Day celebrations at the Civil Secretariat here, Rio called upon all Naga political groups, the Government of India, and other stakeholders to find ways of overcoming their remaining differences, and to arrive at a peaceful and early resolution of the Naga issue.
«As we come together to celebrate 60 years of our statehood, let us also reflect on the beautiful and eventful journey we have made so far, on the resilience of our society and our collective efforts that have taken us to what we are today», he said.
Maintaining that the six decades of Nagaland statehood have been marked by both challenges and triumphs, he said, «the obstacles and adversities we faced on the way had tested the indomitable spirit of the people, making the state stronger, wiser and more united.»
It is our collective responsibility to carry this legacy forward, and to foster a sense of belonging and pride in being the citizens of our Nagaland state, the CM said.
«While making all efforts to continue marching on the path of development and progress, we continue to give top most priority to the peaceful resolution of the Naga Political Issue (NPI), which has been the innermost desire of our people for a very long time,» he said.
