With much constraints and heavy hearts we, few concerned citizens of Kohima town, are compelled to express our frank and blunt views and concerns on the issue of suspension of ShriNeiphiu Rio, three times former Chief Minister of Nagaland and present MP (LokSabha). We, as strong supporters of Regional Party, particularly NPF Party have been keenly watching the political developments in the State from the very beginning and out of genuine love and concern for the Regional Party, are bringing out these crude facts and falsehood prevailing within the Party in the larger interest of the Naga people as well as Naga cause. We strongly feel that the time has come now for citizens to speak out the truth. Hence, these facts below are given for public consumption.
1. Can we expect anything good and positive from a blackened, mean, prejudiced and narrow-minded heart of the NPF Party President, Dr. ShurhozelieLiezietsu whose politics never went or go beyond even now, Tenyimia group/ areas or Urra Academy group? If he had visited places like Mon and Tuensang or Kiphire or Naga areas in Manipur etc. it was only his attempt to remove the stigma attached to him for so long, that is, only as Tenyimia leader or Angami leader.
2.It may be mentioned that Dr. Shurhozelie used to say many good things where ever he goes but one thing is crystal clear that “he says one thing and does another thing” i.e. just the opposite always. His actions are always contrary to what he says either in a platform or in the meetings. He may deny all that but the people are not fools. This reminds us of what the President of America, Abraham Lincoln said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”. Classic example is, the present NPF President talks so much about reconciliation within the Party which could be truly materialised had he shown any sincerity or genuine desire or positive spirit to do so and the NPF party would have been tremendously strengthened and stronger than ever. Unfortunately, he killed all the positive initiatives and approaches made by others or so called “his opponents” just to enable himself to remain in power and get the maximum benefits out of the situation. His hidden agenda is to reach the next General Election with his own handpicked selected candidates without bothering to help in finding a workable solution for the long pending Indo-Naga political problem. From time to time he speaks something about politics but his inner mind or concern is far far from it.
3. It is all “bullshit” to put it in the young people language. This is written to stop the leadership bullshitting its way through as if everything is normal and all right which is height of hypocrisy.
4. The leadership should not be so vengeful nor so apprehensive about things to happen in future. If the MLAs within the Party are not happy with how the way affairs are being run or being managed with injustice, unfairness and over-selfish manner or if the leadership thinks that his/their son(s) or interests cannot be protected if leadership is changed by somebody else and in this context , by ShriNeiphiu Rio (his own presumption), it is his/their own doing and not by others. He/they brought the present avoidable problems upon themselves. If Central government or different underground groups want to change leadership in the State due to total inefficiency and total lack of concern and sincerity to help solve the Naga political issue with present Chief Minister Shri. TR Zeliang as a show-piece being wholly monitored and regulated or engineered by the President NPF Party, the de-facto ruler of the State as known to every Naga at the moment, it is nobody’s fault but themselves alone to be blamed.
5. Whatever it may be or whatever explanations and justifications it may put forward, it can never ever justify the extreme step taken by the NPF President (not the NPF Party since NPF Party as a whole has never taken such a foolish, childish, immature and destructive decision) against ShriNeiphiu Rio, who did his best, and gave everything not only to revive the long lying dead Regional Party but brought it back to the highest place of honour or pinnacle, earning its name in the history of the Naga politics as a very strong, unshakable recognised political party which tried its best for the welfare and uplift of the Naga society and its people. Unfortunately, when we read between the lines and go deeper into the state political developments it is clearly seen that, in the name of “welfare of the Nagas”, extreme ego, personal jealousy, greediness and power-mongering are purely behind them at the cost of everything including sacrificing the unique cause of the Naga Politics. Nothing can be costlier or more foolish than that, i.e. completely blinded by power, money, personal revenge and political vendetta.
6. It is unthinkable and it is like a dream that the long time political arch-rivals like Dr. ShurhozelieLiezietsu and Dr S.C. Jamir, present Governor of Odisha are now hand-in-glove with one another, completely forgetting all their totally contrasting political life’s principles and coming together, not for the betterment or welfare of the Nagas but just to remain in power politically, purely with highest vested interest and nothing else. We all know who Dr. S.C. Jamir was and is. The less said the better about him. It is no wonder that Dr. Shurhozelie had left Regional Party without any compunction and went against the Regional Party candidate as Independent candidate for LokSabha election not too long ago. That means, he was/is always prepared to do anything minus principle just to be in power and he is not what he claims himself to be as a “staunch regionalist”.
7. No wonder, even now, in spite of his age and his ailing health, he is still striving hard without sleep and doing everything possible, by hook or by crook to fulfil his life-long cherished dream to become the Chief Minister of Nagaland one day, even for a short while. Whereas outwardly, just like himself, he always denies it and instead strongly charging ShriNeiphiu Rio that he is trying to “reposition himself in power in the party and in the Government” as Chief Minister of Nagaland, just to befool the Nagas never realising that the people now know him and his intention through and through. Why all this stuff in the media? Reason is, unless these facts are made known to the people and all these falsehood are exposed, he may try to continue to befool the Nagas pretending to be a true regionalist leader as because peoples’ memories are usually very short. This is why we put the caption “Enough is enough with present leadership of NPF” (Only full of pretentions and hypocrisy). There is a limit to everything. But this time he has crossed all limits by trying to usurp power and by taking this extreme measure of suspending the builder and nurturer of NPF party who is the man of the masses, and one of the most popular leaders and statesmen, not only among the Nagas, but also in the whole of North East regions and who is very well known even at the National level for his inborn leadership qualities and potentials and for his strong political acumen.
8. This extreme step taken by the NPF Party President under the lame excuse of Disciplinary Action Committee’s (DAC) recommendation, members of whom were all brainwashed by the Party President himself and now eye washing the people stating that he has done it on the recommendation of DAC, which cannot be tolerated at all. What does he think of himself? Does he think that others are all fools and cannot know what is what? He is still trying to threaten the MLAs and party workers through media and other means that they will face the same thing if they involve themselves in any anti-party activities and he will keep on issuing notices and suspending the MLAs or party workers as if that can threaten them or stop them from speaking the truth. But why not? Who likes to work under such leadership or dictatorship? Every MLA or party worker has the right to say what is right and what is wrong in the interest of the party or in the larger interest of the Naga people, or will they silently continue to work for the party whether right or wrong as slaves or pawns to be used by him in anyway he likes or he dictates?
9. At his age along with his ailing health, he should be so grateful to God that he is still alive and he is what he is today and should learn to be contended with what he is now and do good and constructive things out of gratitude to God and retire gracefully for posterity to remember him as a good and responsible leader and not as what he is doing now left and right without thinking of the serious consequences that may erupt from his foolish actions.
10.People have voted NPF to power to do something good and constructive by providing good, mature, lasting and visionary leadership and not to create confusion or sowing seeds of division, and hatred among the Nagas or to build up personal kingdom with cronies, scoundrels, pleasure seekers or so called leaders without any vision or not to kill NPF Regional Party which was built up with great sacrifice and difficulty against all odds.
11.All the foolish and destructive actions taken by him will boomerang (backfire) upon himself in the days to come as it is said, “As you sow, so shall you reap”. In short, to put it bluntly, this could be the beginning of the downfall of the present leadership of Dr. Shurhozelie and his cronies, but of course, not the Regional NPF party which doesn’t belong to any individual, be it Dr. Shurhozelie or ShriNeiphiu Rio or Shri TR Zeliang, but the NPF Regional Party belongs to all regional loving and minded Nagas and nobody will be allowed to own it as his private property. The Regional Party will survive and carry on as long as the Naga society exists.
12. It is a proven fact that the present NPF leadership is so scared of ShriNeiphiu Rio coming back to power that whenever any good chance comes up at the Central for higher assignment or ministerial berth or some special roles in the State etc., the present leadership goes all out to prevent it or pull him down by sending all false allegations and propaganda or manipulated facts etc. to Government of India just to block him. Recently, nominating Shri KG Kenye, MP RajyaSabha, a fresh entrant in the Parliament, in a manipulated manner or unscrupulously to Central Government for ministerial berth instead of ShriNeiphiu Rio (MP LokSabha) a very capable, experienced and veteran leader, is a glaring example. What else to say? Is this not jealousy, wickedness, meanness or stabbing at the back? If people are not aware today, all the secret agenda will surely be exposed one day before God.
13. We sincerely wish that by reading these facts or packed realities, Dr. Shurhozelie, President NPF, will see his own reflection like in a mirror and correct himself or his hardened mindset before it is too late for him. In any case, he better does it, if not for himself, for the sake of his family or for the Nagas as a whole. Dr. Shurhozelie, the man who didn’t even bother to pay homage and respect to his life-long friend Late KhekihoZhimomi, MP RajyaSabha on his funeral day, but conveniently chose to celebrate the victory of NPF candidates in Manipur on the same day, stating this and that lame excuse, taking all credit to himself for the victory. What a heartless, shameless and inhuman person he is! Can we expect anything good from such a leader?
14. We have not spoken anything much against the present Chief Minister of Nagaland since he is not a leader who can lead the people at any time or more so at such a critical juncture of our history today. He can be at the most, as known to all, simply a follower and that also without any vision. Being from a minority tribe, he is having a small mind without any courage and just filling up the gap coincidentally and passing his time, being fully used as a pawn in the hands of his “Guru”, the President NPF. It is not worth talking about him. He is only anxiously waiting for the present term of office to be over and enjoy the rest of his life with the wealth and money he has accumulated so far. But alas, it is too uncertain and dangerous to leave our future in the hands of the combination of the said two leaders. History will judge them and it will not be kind to them for the political blunders after blunders they have wilfully committed. So many things more to write but due to space limit we will stop here hoping that this write up will somehow open the eyes of many Nagas and change things for better.
15. Lastly, we want the readers to understand that we are neither supporters of ShriNeiphiu Rio nor Dr. ShurhozelieLiezietsu nor Shri T R Zeliang, but we are only few concerned Naga citizens and deep lovers of Regional Party and we are highlighting these cruel facts to the Naga people so that they will know and realise who is who and decide things for themselves when the time comes for things to change for better and that time must come fast before it is too late.