Kohima: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, during a campaign programme at Kohima on Thursday, said that the 2023 elections in Nagaland is igniting a new spirit of Northeast.
As both states extend support and cooperation for peace and development in the two states, he said that the spirit of the Northeast region is ignited. No matter how people from the region identify themselves, Sarma said that people in other parts of the country consider it with a common identity-North East.
On the interstate border, Sarma said that there is a lot of scope for oil exploration along the border. Assam, he said, has come to a realization that oil exploration along some parts of the border should be shared between the states for the development of both states.
In this regard, he said that all Northeast states should work together for development, poverty alleviation, and improving roadways and airways, as the faith of the NE states is interlinked. Youth from the region, he said, should have the right to live and develop in a region that is the best to live in.
He also assured of the Assam government’s support in the development of the foothill road. Further, he said that the NDPP-BJP parties which maintain a strong alliance, are committed to the manifestos.
On the Naga issue, Sarma said that in the past five years, the NDPP-BJP government had laid the foundation of a better Nagaland and a considerable amount of time was spent on bringing a solution.
As many ground works were covered, he hoped that the next five years would be very important towards achieving the objective. “We want to have a solution that will respect Naga history, and uniqueness of the Nagas, and also recognise a strong friendship between Naga people and the people living in the rest of India,” Sarma said.
He then shared his belief that in the next five years, the NDPP-BJP coalition would work towards achieving a permanent solution to the Naga issue.
Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio also shared that it was for the first time that the chief ministers of Assam and Nagaland shared a very good friendship. As a good neighbour, he said, Sarma was always helpful.
He informed that the two CMs had corresponded in papers to settle the interstate border issue outside the court by involving indigenous people of the two states. However, he said that it was a third party creating commotion and hoped to resolve it.
On the exploration of oil, he said that the Assam CM had written to him that in a few sectors along the border, there would be sharing of royalties from oil exploration, while in the disputed areas, the funds acquired would be stored in an account and when the issue is resolved would it be shared.
Acknowledging Sarma, he said that the relationship between the two was a never-before relationship between the CMs of both states.
EASTMOJO PREMIUM
Help sustain honest journalism.
As he addressed the campaign programme of 8-Western Angami AC Salhoutuonuo Kruse at the capital cultural hall Kohima, Rio hoped that as Kohima is the CM candidatorial district, all NDPP and BJP seats would emerge victorious. He then assured that development would be brought about in both towns and villages if voted to power again.
Also Read | Nagaland, Assam CMs hail female candidates, say ‘history in making’