Artistes wait to perform during the Moatsu Mong festival in Dimapur on Tuesday.

Nagaland chief minister Shürhozelie Liezietsu on Tuesday called upon the people to seek an early amicable and honourable solution to the Naga political problem .

'Nagas have been suffering for too long and we want to see an early solution,' he said, addressing a large gathering of Ao Naga and Angami Naga communities at Mokokchung during the festival.

'Each of us needs to contribute our best to see that it (the Naga political issue) is solved once and for all, each one of us has a role. If there is no peace, there cannot be progress and development,' he added, echoing his party's slogan of Development for Peace, Peace for Development.

Dwelling on the genesis of the Naga movement for self-determination, the chief minister recalled how 2,000-odd Nagas were taken to the warfronts of Europe during World War I .

He said the Nagas who went to France realised that they belonged to one ethnic group. They also experienced the patriotism of Western people since they were ready to sacrifice their lives for their country.

"We need to be Christians not only in Church. There is no looking back now, we need to build our Naga brotherhood on a stronger foundation," he added. Text by our special correspondent and PTI picture