Dimapur (Nagaland), Aug 12 (IANS): Describing the signing of the Naga peace accord between the central government and the NSCN-IM a "progressive development", Odisha Governor S.C. Jamir on Wednesday praised the BJP-led NDA government for pushing peace in the northeast.

"A bold and forward looking government is pushing for peace in the region, so that its Act East Policy will metamorphose into a vibrant reality. For that to happen, peace in Nagaland holds the key," said Jamir, a former Nagaland chief minister.

"A genuinely bold beginning has been made. Now is the time to move ahead. Now is the time for the Nagas to grab the opportunity with both hands. The younger generation of the Nagas needs to match their counterparts elsewhere in the country," added Jamir, a veteran Nagaland politician.

Stating that the Naga peace accord's major achievement was the exclusion of the two contentious issues: sovereignty and integration, Jamir said.

"This indicates that at long last political realism finally dawned in the scheme of things of the NSCN-IM). The collective leadership of the NSCN-IM should now come up with new ideas to match with the government's peace initiative."