Refuting the news items appeared in most of the local dailies on the 28th June, 2014, in which it was stated by the Mokokchung NPF Forum that “Dr. Benjongliba Aier, Minister for Agriculture and Dr. Longri, Parliamentary Secretary for Labour & Employment had also come to Mokokchung but they did not come up to the NPF Mokokchung Divisional Office sensing the intentions of their colleague maybe good sense prevailed in them”. I would like to state that the news items is malicious and specially with an intention to damage the reputation of my colleague Shri Nuklutoshi and malifide intention to create suspicion among our colleagues since the news is one sided and issued without ascertaining the facts.
Having received the calling letter for the NPF Divisional Meeting on 27/06/2014 from the Minister-incharge Mokokchung Divisional Unit, I along with Dr. Longri started from Dimapur on 27th morning at 5:00 AM. On reaching Mariani at 7:00 AM we got a news that two trucks met a head-on collision near New Camp at Chungtia and hence no vehicles were plying that time. We waited for the news of the road clearance for half an hour but no news was forthcoming since all the networks were down upto 12:00 Noon at Mokokchung that day. The reasons best known by the Service Providers. Thus, we were forced to take the Amguri-Tuli-Mokokchung Road. We reached Minkong (Mongoya) around 10:30 AM where SDO (Civil) along with some Police Officials and DBs were waiting for us. While reaching near Fazl Ali College Junction we were stopped all at a sudden by some policemen. They told us that the mob had damaged the SP Office and pelting of stones started. Thus, we were prevented by the officials not to move ahead till the areas are sentisized. We told the officials that we came for the meeting at 11:00 AM and by any means we have to attend the meeting. At that time I got a message that the meeting is about to be started and the crowd are the NPF supporters only. I told the officials that since we have our escort vehicles and bodyguards we have to move ahead. But as the guardian of the security they requested us not to move. But in politics such incidents happens all the time so we told them that we will take the risk. So after wasting for half an hour we started our journey and reached the town only around 11:45 AM when the first session of the meeting for NPF MLAs, CEC Members and Central Office Bearers were over. Dr. Longri & myself could attend the other two meetings – one with the Divisional Units frontal wings and onether with the A/C Unit Office Bearers. The meetings were held in a cordial atmosphere and we left Mokokchung around 4:00 PM.
The present imbroglio started when 2 MLAs were inducted in T.R.Zeliang’s Ministry. The Mokokchung Division NPF Party leadership questioned the Central NPF Party leadership why two Ministers who do not want the leadership of TRZ were not inducted and two MLAs who supported him for his leadership were inducted? They gave a one month ultimatum to the NPF Party President to restore the status quo. Being a party leaders in the Divional Unit, they even do not know that it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to choose his Council of Ministers. When the Central Party Leader asked them to withdraw the ultimatum, they instead replied in their reaffirmation of the earlier ultimatum served to the party that the two earlier Ministers in Shri Rio Ministry should be inducted which means the two new Ministers should be dropped since Mokokchung District have only two Ministerial quota. When the Central NPF leaders could not contain their act of indiscipline, the only option was to dissolve the Divisional General Body, leaving the frontal wings and asking the COB to reorganize the Divisional party.
When Shri Rio resigned after becoming an MP, all the Council of Ministers, Advisors, Chairmen, etc had to automatically resigned along with him as per the democratic convention. Thus, all of them became MLAs. After Shri Rio left for Delhi, the NPF Legislatures had to elect a capable leader of the Legislatures Party to led the DAN Government. At that time, some of the senior Ministers in the Rios’s Ministry did not like the leadership of Shri T.R.Zeliang after Shri Rio left for Delhi. Inspite of 27 out of 37 NPF MLAs reposing their faith in his leadership, they tried their level best not to elect him as the leader of the NPF Legislators. But in a democratic set up the majority prevails. In order to avoid the horse trading all his supportes had to camp at Kaziranga Resort till a conducive atmosphere prevailed. After T.R.Zeliang became the Chief Minister he had chosen his Council of Ministers, etc. according to his perogative – naturally appointing those MLAs who stood for him during the cisis. In the Rio Ministry, there were two Ministers, two Parliamentary Secretaries and one Advisor (NBDA) from Mokokchung District. After the formation of TR Ministry, all the posts were restored with an additional post of an Advisor in the Cabinet Status. Unfortunately for some of the Aos, these two inducted Ministers were not from the upper region. So they started questioning why the two Ministers who revolted against TRZeliang for his leadership were not inducted and those two MLAs were inducted in his Ministry ? The two new Ministers were inducted and given chance by the Hon’ble CM to represent the bigger geographical areas of the District which were deprived of the chance in the past and unrepresented for quite a long time. Thus, we were also eligible for the post.
Here I would like to state that Aos are the pioneers – both in Christianity as well as in education. Still other tribes respect Aos as advanced people. But our thinking and behaviours are still not so advanced as it should have been. Some Aos still think that people living in the upper region is the 1st class citizens and the rest are the 3rd class citizens. There was a time when the Chief Minister of Nagaland along with two senior Ministers and an MP was from the same village but the Aos never questioned why they have to be from the same village ? That point of time they were the most capable leaders of the Ao community and they were chosen by the party leadership. The rest of the Aos never disturbed the party, never stoned the party office, never threw bombs in the office, never damaged the official properties for that. Every one acknowledged their leadership and the people lived peacefully. But why now some Aos think that the Minister should not be chosen from other ranges ? I remember during early 80s, some Ministers from some tribes were poorly educated and hardly studied upto Middle School. But they were the representatives of that areas and they served their people well. Now, I would like to questioned the so called self-styled Mokokchung District NPF Forum. Who recognized this Forum ? We have only one recognized NPF Unit in Mokokchung District which is under the leadership of Shri Shurhozelie. If some people want to form a Forum let them use onether name but not the NPF name. If they want to serve the party according to party constitution let them obey the directive of the central leadership. The rest I will left for the people to judge.
Issued by Dr. Benjongliba Aier
Minister of Agriculture &
Chairman, NSAMB,
Nagaland.
