ACAUT conducts Clean Election rallies in Phek district

Dimapur, April 21 (EMN): The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) held two public rallies on Clean Election at Pfutsero town and Phek town, the organisation informed on Friday. They conducted an interactive session at Chizami town as well, a press release from the media cell of the ACAUT stated on April 21.

The rally at Pfutsero town was held on April 17 followed by a meeting with the Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (CBCC) and Chakhesang Clean Election Movement.

Later on, another interactive session was held at Chizami village which was attended by village leaders, elders, GBs, youths, women and members of the public, the press release stated. The public rally at Pfutsero was organized by the CBCC and the Pfutsero unit of the ACAUT, it was informed.

The second public rally was held on April 18 at Phek town. The event was said to have been organized by the Phek Town Youth Society, Phek Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Phek Town Students’ Union, and the Phek unit of the ACAUT.

Offering updates, the press release stated that Tia Longchar, the convenor of the Public Mobilization unit of the ACAUT, praised the development of Pfutsero and Phek town. He said that other districts of Nagaland ‘were not so fortunate.’ He was quoted as having said that the practice of backdoor appointment was a contributor to the creation of tribalism “as successive ministers keep appointing own tribesmen at the cost of merit,” the press release stated.

Also, leader of the ACAUT, Khekiye K Sema, questioned Naga parents’ logic in sending their children to schools and universities whereas under the present circumstances “our children have no future” if “we continue to sell our votes.”

‘After selling our votes we the public have no right to demand good roads, hospitals, good schools, etc.,’ the press release quoted him as having said during the rally.

“He complained that our candidates become Lucifer’s elder brother during elections. He cited that the state with its vast numbers of proxy teachers, hardly qualified to teach children, has done untold damage by creating an entire generation of equally ill-equipped children thereby creating a vicious cycle,” the press release said.

The member of the ACAUT has challenged the gathering “whether the people will continue with old wines in new bottles or impact change by electing new wines fit for new bottles,” according to the updates.

During the meeting at Chizami village, questions were posed to ACAUT members, the press release stated. The questions ranged from issues of corruption in the government to the slogan of one ‘Government One Tax’ and whether the ACAUT would be contesting in the coming general elections in 2018.

“To which ACAUT Nagaland members responded categorically that ACAUT was a watchdog, a people’s movement formed to check rampant corruption and multiple taxation and that it has no intention of transforming itself into a political party,” the press release stated.

“In all the gatherings, leaders and elders of all the surrounding villages attended the rally. Taking a cue from the CBCC, the ACAUT too has decided to use the word ‘movement’ for its clean election programme,” the press release added.