Rio forgives assailants over his assassination bid

Kohima, Jun 1 (UNI) With the appeals of various Naga societies for peace and reconciliation, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has extended forgiveness to the assailants who made an assassination bid on his life 13 years ago on May 30, 1995.

The Chief Minister, while speaking at the Ninth General Session of the Naga Hoho at Peren on May 30, said he had forgiven the perpetrators of the crime.

Suspected NSCN-IM cadres made the assassination attempt 13 years ago when Mr Rio was the state Home Minister under the Congress regime under the then Chief Minister S C Jamir.

In the assassination bid, Mr Rio's driver was killed while two of his bodyguards sustained injuries.

''At a time when the Naga people are seriously challenged to forgive each other for past mistakes and hurts and to reconcile, the Chief Minister, by his act of forgiving those who had attempted to take his life, has set a personal standard for all Nagas,'' various Naga leaders present at the Session commented.

UNI AS DPM AE PM1310