EMN
DIMAPUR, MARCH 31
STAR campaigner for DAN coalition and Parliamentary Secretary for Urban Development, Zhaleo Rio, has alleged that the India National Congress was never inclined to solve the protracted Naga political issue and added that the issue could only be addressed by a non-Congress party or coalition at the Centre.
Addressing a public rally at Old Showuba in Dimapur district on March 31 morning, Zhaleo quoted statement of the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, during discussion with the Naga delegation who vowed that “Nagas will never be given Independence even if the sky falls.”
He claimed that the same view was echoed by his daughter late Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi when they were Prime Ministers of India and continued even today by the powers-that-be at Delhi, namely Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
“For that matter, if we look back, the Congress party has always been giving step-motherly treatment to Nagas and tribals,” he said adding “In 1989, the Congress party at the Centre changed the funding pattern of the Special Category States which adversely affected the fund flow and subsequently the developmental activities in these States including Nagaland. In recent times, the racial discrimination against the Northeastern people continues unabated in metropolitan cities under UPA regime.”
On NPCC’s booklet “11 Years of Misrule,” Zhaleo said the booklet should be titled “11 Years of Mistreatment by UPA” since the Congress government at the Centre had drastically reduced the Annual Plan allocations of Nagaland in the last decade thereby badly affecting the entire State.
Rajya Sabha MP Khekiho Zhimomi, who also addressed the rally today, said the Congress party has always been dividing the Naga people.
“Nine months after the first General elections in Nagaland in 1964, when Ceasefire was signed between the Government of India and the Federal Government of Nagaland on September 6, MLAs of the regional party then known as the Democratic Party resigned to ensure free and smooth dialogue between the signatories of the Ceasefire agreement, but the Naga Nationalist Organisation legislators did not agree and the sacrifices of the regionalists went in vain,” Zhimomi recalled.
“In 1998, heeding the call of the Naga people headed by the Naga Hoho to opt for solution to the Naga political issue rather than hold elections, all political parties decided to boycott the Assembly elections, but the Congress went ahead with the polling process thereby defeating the noble sacrifices of the Naga people,” Zhimomi said and went on to add that even in recent months, the Congress party did not heed the appeal made by the NPF party president Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu to support the candidature of Neiphiu Rio as the consensus candidate of the Naga people.
Stating that the winds of opportunity are blowing in favour of the Naga people, Zhimomi has appealed to the people to grab the opportunity by voting for the DAN consensus candidate Neiphiu Rio.
Also speaking on the occasion, the Parliamentary Secretary for Technical Education, IT and Taxes, Tovihoto, said Nagas have matured after 50 years of Statehood. He said there is nothing to be said about the Congress party which was rejected overwhelmingly by the people in February 2013.
“The vehicle of the DAN Government is a huge one and there is room for everyone,” Tovihoto said and added that “Everyone is welcome aboard the DAN vehicle to travel together to an era of peace, progress and prosperity.”
Independent MLA and Chairman of Development Authority of Nagaland (DAN), Jacob Zhimomi, in his address, said attributed that Neiphiu Rio is the best chief minister among all other chief ministers of Nagaland.
Nagaland BJP spokesman and general secretary, James Vizo said the NDA pays utmost importance to even small states like Nagaland. He reminded the gathering when the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee came to Nagaland in October 2003 and wrote off the 365 crore deficit created by the previous Congress regime besides announcing a thousand crore package for Nagaland. He, however, said the UPA government’s package for Nagaland when voted to power the next year was to cancel Vajpayee’s package and constrict the flow of funds to the State.
While recalling the Prime Minister Vajpayee’s Independence Day speech at Red Fort in 2002, Vizo said NDA was sincere in solving the Naga political issue. Vizo also said one of the political resolutions adopted at the January 2014 BJP national council meeting in New Delhi was to make an earnest effort to find a permanent solution to the Naga issue.
He also revealed that BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had assured the BJP Nagaland Unit delegation which met him in Gujarat last November of “peaceful atmosphere and maximum development of the entire Northeast if NDA comes to power.”
State Unit JD (U) President Mhonjan Lotha took a dig at Congress leader and former Goa Chief Minister Luizhinho Faleiro saying he (Faleiro) never talks about development when he comes to Nagaland but only makes false accusations and ridiculous allegations.
“The gift of the Congress party for Nagaland’s 50th year of Statehood was massive reduction of funds,” Mhonjan said. He exuded confidence that the Congress party would be voted out of power at the Centre in the forthcoming elections.
The rally was attended by several hundreds of leaders from the neighbouring villages which fall under Ghaspani I and Ghaspani II Assembly constituencies.
