NPF to boycott government’s consultative meeting on CAB

Resolves to ‘seriously re-examine’ its coalition with the BJP in Manipur

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Jan. 30 (EMN): In what may affect the consultative meeting called by Nagaland’s Home department to discuss the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) of 2016 with civil society organisations from the state, the Opposition party, Naga People’s Front (NPF) has decided to boycott it.

The NPF decided to boycott the consultative meeting on CAB convened by the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-led PDA government at Chumoukedima, Dimapur on Jan. 31 during a meeting held on Wednesday. It said the state government did not oppose the bill when it was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Jan. 6, 2019, which is a clear indication that they endorse the bill. So, it has no moral right to convene a consultative meeting either with the political parties or civil societies on this particular issue.

The party alleged that the intention of the PDA government in convening the consultative meeting on Thursday at Chumoukedima is nothing but an eyewash and to shift the blame to the political parties and civil societies.

The NPF has also resolved to seriously re-examine its coalition with the BJP in Manipur.

The party also stated that the North East Region’s Political Parties Convention on Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), 2016, held at Guwahati on Jan. 29, was “wrongly reported” in the local dailies.

Spokesperson of NPF Achumbemo Kikon told reporters at the party’s central office in Kohima on Jan. 30 that ‘it (meeting at Guwahati) was a meeting of the like-minded political parties from Northeast region and not a meeting of the BJP allies as reported in some sections of the media.

Kikon said that the party thought it was its responsibility to respond when any meeting on the Citizenship Amendment Bill issue is convened. “Our intention is very clear; we are all out against CAB,” he said.

He also claimed that the NDPP officials led by Chingwang Konyak showed lack of seriousness when they made a sudden appearance at the venue in Guwahati just about five to seven minutes before the meeting had ended.

“Naga people are no longer naive and ignorant; they cannot mislead the Nagas anymore. How can the NDPP-led-PDA say that the ILP, BEFR protect the people? Kikon asked, saying that it is just a “legal document for someone to travel around or roam around.”

“CAB is much above these (ILP and BEFR); they don’t realise the consequences,” said Kikon even as he accused the state government of “misleading on several issues” including CAB. The Northeast area cannot be used as a dumping zone for immigrants, Kikon protested.

“We will fight along with the like-minded parties who are against this bill,” he assured.