Two contrast worlds descended on the Naga People’s Front (NPF) on Friday, the 27th of November. While the northern world of the party led by party stalwarts Neiphiu Rio and TR Zeliang was mourning the demise of the party leader Khekiho Zhimomi in Dimapur, the Cock party in the south was uncorking celebratory cans of bonhomie headed by none other than its President Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu to felicitate the NPF Autonomous District Council (ADC) members at Ukhrul Town Hall. It is no one’s business to poke and pinch on somebody’s state of mood and mind but when a public figure in the stature of Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu who also holds the party baton ignored the State Mourning one cannot help but question whether the Cock party was officially represented at the public funeral of Khekiho Zhimomi. Last Friday, a heart rending scene adorned Agri Expo site in Dimapur with thousands of people bidding a tearful adieu to Khekiho Zhimomi but in Ukhrul the NPF members including the party President Dr Shurzozelie Liezietsu and its Manipur unit President Awangbow Newmai were displaying wide celebratory grins felicitating the ADC members from the party. On that day, the party felicitated a total of 56 NPF ADC members from Chandel, Tamenglong, Senapati, Ukhrul and Sadar Hill Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). A Parliamentary Secretary from Nagaland and NPF legislators from Manipur were present in the felicitation programme. Now, the mood point is of the choice or decision of the NPF leaders—those who participated at the Ukhrul felicitation programme (whose party is heading the government in Nagaland)—brushing aside the government declared State Mourning (Khekiho Zhimomi). This would also mean to confirm that the NPF leaders at Ukhrul on November 27 were not only insensitive to the needs of their “arms in comrade” at their time of loss but also ignored the important social obligation. In fact, the ugly truth all comes down to ‘lesson unlearnt’—these leaders are yet to learn the proper behavior the public figure should exhibit in such time as this.
