and the Union Government was the only solution. The underground Nagas were an inalienable part of Naga society and they should be associated in the final settlement of the Naga political problem. The incumbent Deputy Minister of Labour in the Indira Gandhi government was easily defeated by Kevichüsa. In response to his defeat by a novice in electoral politics, Jamir said, The real cause for this election debacle was the activities of the army in the state and the tantalising offer made by the Opposition candidate to bring independence to Nagaland within a six-month period together with non-compliance of the Government of India with some of the legitimate demands of the ruling party in the State such as vesting the State Government with responsibility of law and order, refusal to give the State a separate Governor, non-integration of continuous Naga areas with Nagaland as demanded by State Government and lack of progress in respect of establishing permanent peace. The seductive calmness that has descended over our state is misleading. Peace hangs by a fragile thread. Nagaland State Legislature In October 1972, Jamir was arrested along with former Nagaland Chief Minister T. N. Angami, and others on the charges of complicity in the assassination attempt on Hokishe Sema in August. The incumbent Chief Minister Hokishe Sema refused to set up an enquiry committee to investigate the details that led to the arrest. Jamir along with others were released when the police could not find sufficient evidence to press charges. Jamir alleged that the confessional statement that led to his arrest was "prepared" by some interested officials "to meet their selfish end." Jamir served as Chief Minister of Nagaland five times (1980, 1982–1986, 1989–90 and 1993–2003). For his first two terms he was a member of the Progressive United Democratic Front, but by 1989 his party merged with the Indian National Congress. His tenure as the Chief Minister of Nagaland is considered as the longest, from 1993 to 2003. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from Nagaland for the term 1987–1992, but resigned in 1989. During the 1991 Indian general election, Jamir directly blamed the incumbent Nagaland Chief Minister Vamüzo Phesao for the ban imposed on National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) suggesting that it could not have been promulgated without the consultation of the state government. The central government headed by Vishwanath Pratap Singh had outlawed the NSCN along