Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang today appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an early resolution by the Centre to the six-decade-old Naga political issue.
"Our crying need is the peaceful resolution to the vexed Naga political issue, which has become the uppermost agenda of not only the state government, but also the mass based organizations, NGOs, civil societies, business organizations along with the rest of the people of the state," the CM said in his address during the 10-day-long Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kisama, about 12 km from the state capital.
"It is only under your (Modi) leadership that our most cherished dream will become a reality," he said, adding that the people of Nagaland want peace and want to grow to be a self-reliant state on equal terms with the other advanced states of the country.
He also assured the Prime Minister that the state government and the people of Nagaland will stand by him, as he sets goals for the country's future and as he steers the country to its rightful place in the comity of nations.
The Nagaland Chief Minister said that even after 50 years of statehood, the true potential of the state was yet to be fully harnessed and the advantages that the state has, such as the rich cultural heritage, its natural beauty and abundant natural resources, and its strategic location are yet to be truly exploited to the state's advantage.
Towards this end, he said the state has many needs and many areas where "we require active handholding from the Government of India".
"We expect and hope that this visit of yours (PM) may become a boon for the people of Nagaland," he said.
