2018 polls will be a challenge for Nagaland, says NPCC

Dimapur, May 17 (EMN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has cautioned the people of Nagaland that the 2018 election will be an era-changing event, like a change-or-perish situation, for the people of the state and the state itself. “It is either we change or perish together like fools under the corrupt governance. They have already looted public funds for the last 15 years. Now they are divided and are struggling for power to further corrupt,” the NPCC stated in a press release on Wednesday which was appended by NPCC President K Therie. K Therie said to have travelled a few districts during May 9-14/05 covering Wokha, Zunheboto, Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon district. He said to have travelled with Dr. K. Jayakumar, secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), and in-charge of north eastern states. “The roads which used to take one hour in the past now need 3 hours. Roads between Zunheboto and Mokockchung and roads between Mon and Tizit are terrible. There is no road worth calling a road,” Therie stated in the press release. ‘At the end of the journey when we meet our brothers and sisters they welcome us and the first words they all utter is ‘Rasta to enika hie ase’ (Nagamese for ‘road is like that’).’ In this context, the NPCC president remarked that the 2018 election will be a “challenge to every person” in Nagaland. “We cannot expect anything more than bribery and looting of public development funds from power mongers. Whatever they may say, their deeds in 15 years’ rule have proven that they are shameless corrupt persons.” They are, according to Therie, responsible for changing Nagas from ‘honesty to dishonesty,’ changed life style from ‘hardworking system to commission agent and extortion.’ “From unknown sources of income, people have acquired land and high buildings are rising. All these have happened during just 15 years of NPF-BJP government. Corruption began from the top politicians to bureaucrats down to the lowest grades, and VCCs and VDBs are forced to sign blank cheques,” the NPCC chief stated. Further, according to Therie stated, people in the villages have lost hope for development and that they would deliver welfare schemes. The NPCC explained: “They also have lost hope, that after election, they will ever get opportunity to meet the elected representatives, not to speak of taking care of their welfare. MGNREGA funds are not heard of anymore excepting for asking them to sign blank cheques. Monthly Civil supplies such as rice, wheat, sugar and Kerosene oil don't reach the villages. School buildings don't have doors and windows. Hospitals and dispensaries are without employees. There is neither medicine in the dispensaries and hospitals nor the machineries to diagnose. School teachers are short in almost all village schools. Backdoor appointments, CAG report and failure to solve the political problem are all forgotten.” People don't complain any more, he said. “They just don’t believe that the government can ever deliver or solve the problems.” Therie said also that there was “complete political polarisation in the state.” People have lost hope in the NPF and BJP seeing the divided house of the NPF-BJP Govt, the Congress stated. “(NPF (Right), NPF (Left) and BJP). They will be gunning for each other with their amassed wealth. The vote bank will be divided into three sections. Election is just seven months away from notification.” The challenges that the people of Nagaland face in this election are to stop deep rooted corruption, to stop RSS-BJP from persecuting the Christian faith and to provide clean and God-fearing government and governance, the press release stated. “Even non-Christians are telling our society that the choice is of conscience over money-power. There are 12 disciples in our society. There are the Judases who sold Jesus for 30 silver coins and there are the Achans who stole the forbidden wealth of Jericho, in our society. In which way you want to perish is your choice,” the NPCC president added.