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NPCC President K. Therie speaking at the induction programme of the new NPYC office bearers at Congress Bhavan on March 17.[/caption]
Kohima, March 17: Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president, Kewekhape Therie, Friday slammed the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) “for becoming a comfort party under the BJP.”
Addressing a host of party activists during the induction programme of the new office bearers of Nagaland Pradesh Youth Congress (NPYC) at Congress Bhavan, NPCC president said “the NPF is only facilitating the BJP and have become a comfort party of it.”
He went to the extent of comparing the NPF leaders and legislators with that of “robots” whose remote is being controlled by the BJP at the centre.
“By facilitating the BJP here in Nagaland, they (NPF) are supporting the rule of Trissul in the land of Christ,” Therie said maintaining that “it is dangerous to live with BJP.”
“The BJP believes in religion-divide and racial-divide, therefore, Nagaland and Northeast cannot and should not allow our ideologies to merge with BJP,” the NPCC leader obstinately said.
“The BJP with its divide and rule policy is trying to implement a uniform civil code in the country. And this is against the Nagas as we have been granted with some special privileges under Article 371(A),” he said. He vouched that “the people of India can only live in Congress ideology and no other party.”
Commenting on the August 3 Agreement signed between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM), NPCC leader rubbished his hope of any immediate outcome under the BJP government.
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NPCC President and other party leaders with the newly inducted NPYC office bearers at Congress Bhavan on March 17.[/caption]
“I do not see any bright future for the Nagas immediately,” he said maintaining that the BJP won’t be able to solve the decades-long Naga political issue.
“Only the founding fathers of the Indian nation – the Gandhis and Nehrus – understand the Naga political issue,” he said adding that the BJP is not serious on Naga issue “as their leaders are not speaking in one voice.” To substantiate his argument, he mentioned on the divided comments given by the BJP leaders including PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State Kiren Rijiju and interlocutor RN Ravi. He added that the present central government only wants the ceasefire to continue during their regime.
“The world is not at all comfortable with Modi and US President Donald Trump, and this will be known very soon,” he added.
On the present government in the State, he was hopeful that the people of Nagaland will trust the Congress party to vote them back to power.
“Nagaland has been under complete suppression for the last 15 years under the NPF rule,” he said adding that the Nagas have been “robbed, mis-managed and have been slaves under our own land by not being able to talk upright.”
“Congress needs to be strong to salvage the people of Nagaland from suppression,” he said and challenged the party workers to work tirelessly to bring Congress to power.
Therie regretted saying “Naga society is in reverse gear and suffocated.” He observed that the Naga politicians have ignored the sufferings of the people for too long. However, we cannot blame anybody since it I the doing of the elected people, he stated.
On the formation of the third party which is likely to be formed by some politicians before the next general elections, the NPCC leader felt that “the move for a third party will be a complete suicidal.”
“I do not know with what ideologies and issues they will be forming the third party,” he stated.
Meanwhile, a new team of the Nagaland Pradesh Youth Congress (NPYC) was inducted today with Vilhousielie Kenguruse as president and Yanchamo Lima Ovung and Shepa Wangnao as the vice presidents and Vezholhu Khusoh as general secretary. The new team comprise of 17 members representing all the districts.
NPCC working president Ayangba Aonok and the general secretary and in-charge of youth and NSUI, Dokiu Kecham, NPYC president Vilhousielie Kenguruse addressed the gathering.
Barely a year left for the next general election in the State, NPCC president K Therie made his opinion public in supporting the use of ballot paper during election(s) rather than the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) which he termed it as “unfair.”
Therie, however maintained that “all the states should be invited to give their opinion on the use of EVM and move for a change to ballot papers if it is unconstitutional.”
Making a comparison with some of the countries across the world, the Congress leader lamented at the unfairness in the use of EVMs during elections in the country.
“EVMs can be manipulated. There are evidences that it (EVM) can be pre-set. Once you vote, you do not know where your vote travels to,” he said and recalled the recent incident in Uttar Pradesh where BSP supremo Mayawati complained about the unfairness in the use of EVMs.
The Congress leader informed that Germany has declared EVM as “unconstitutional” while some other countries including USA, Japan, etc, have come to a similar decision to do away with the EVM.
“We will try to see that we go to the next elections with ballot papers and not the EVMs, he said while he also informed that his party will file a petition immediately against the use of EVMs.
