Dimapur, Dec. 28 (EMN): It is not personal grudge against Nagaland government’s leaders in any capacity but their ‘facilitating’ fundamentalist elements such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) says.
The president of the NPCC K Therie issued a press release on Thursday disparaging the Naga People’s Front (NPF) over a number of issues including leadership crises, connection with the Hindutva elements, and former chief minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio’s ‘return to state politics.’
The press release stated against having ‘personal grudge’ with the NPF’s former and present chief ministers nor with the council of members or MLAs. “I only do not approve the way they facilitate Hindutva and practice corruption and cowardliness in handling Naga political affairs. Nagaland people have travelled a long way. People have faced bullets without fear. I saw for myself, my village and neighbouring villages being burnt down to ashes; our rice stores burnt, men folk persecuted and tortured to death and our women shamed. I was a young boy when the Indian forces came to burn my village. I went into hiding in the jungles for years and lived on leaves and roots but we neither complained nor begged.”
The people’s ancestors and founding fathers took decisions and took the responsibility to implement the decisions, the NPCC stated. “The process of democracy was always respected. This is why Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has respected the demand of NPC that gave birth to state. Politics of governance is based on ideologies, philosophies and principles for the welfare of people.”
However, in Nagaland, the NPCC explained, “We have come across many aspiring politicians who do not understand them.”
Their dream of politics of governance is power, position and money, the NPCC explained. “The biggest threat to clean election and clean Government is corrupt money. Intending candidates who do not believe in clean election and who do not fear God, are defecting from one door to another door expecting corrupt money for election funding.”
The Congress stated that they ‘know all’ about the anti-Christian activities of BJP and RSS—Churches razed to the ground, foreign contributions for missionary hospitals, schools, colleges, charity works and scholarships to theological students stopped.
“They surely have seen that Christmas celebration was disturbed. Yet they want to have alliance with BJP and facilitate them for they worship corrupt money, power and position,” Therie stated.
Referring to what it stated was the issue of the NPF’s internal fight over the chief minister’s post, the NPCC stated that the conflict ‘has destroyed the hope and expectations of the people and more so destroyed the future of NPF society.’
“They may forgive each other for power, position and money but they cannot forget their acts of betrayal against each other. Trust deficit will continue to live in the minds of every member,” the press release stated.
On Member of Parliament Neiphiu Rio, the NPCC chief stated: “Shri. Neiphiu Rio was given mandate to rule Nagaland State. It was of his own volition that he resigned. It is unfair for him to come back and hunt for the CM’s post. There are no differences in matters of politics or economics, in the fight. The world sees them as a total failure to control the personal instinct of ‘I want more.’”
“The funnier part is, the confused MLAs - running up and down and crossing each other in the middle of the road and also, some landing in the wrong house. Respected members, you are leaders not runners.”
The Congress explained that ‘to grab’, ‘to loot’ and ‘to rob’ were the ‘closest words in their minds but these do not come out from their mouths.’
However, the press release stated, ‘below their neck is filled with the urge to grab, loot and rob.’
Asserting that the NPF’s rule had ruined Nagaland state and ‘shamed the credentials of Naga standing,’ the Congress stated that the NPF ‘must be rejected by the voters to recover the lost glory.’
“Nagaland should send a strong message to the nation and the world that we do not approve of anti-Christian activities. No one is upright. God is still willing to save Nagaland, if there is but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I believe God will surely answer the prayers,” Therie added.
