NTAC censures Zeliang’s radio talk

Dimapur, Feb. 14: The Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) on Tuesday reminded chief minister TR Zeliang that if he had stepped down ‘honourably’ already, the state-wide shutdown would have been called off by now. In a rejoinder to the chief minister’s radio address, the NTAC stated: “After causing the people to rise against your government, expressing concern for the future generation and the children’s examination is nothing but shedding crocodile’s tears because if you have already stepped down honourably, bandh would have been over long time back.” It stated that Zelaing has, “knowingly or ignorantly”, been trying to mislead the people saying that the government was only trying to fulfil a Constitutional obligation. “Your contention is wrong and that is why even though you declare the ULB election null and void, a Constitutional breakdown did not arise.” The chief minister’s expressed fear that the fate and the content of Article 371(A) was on the verge of being decided by the Supreme Court was unfounded and “at its best a glaring exhibition of your total ignorance of the Constitutional provision itself”, it stated. “Crying foul that JCC is not allowing organisations and individuals to come for consultations with the government after cheating the people and causing the death of three precious lives, injuring several across the state and burning down of various offices in Kohima is immaturity of your judgement in itself. “You call this unfair but are this carnage not caused, trigger (sic) and kick-started by you? May we remind you that enough democratic protests against holding of ULB elections were exhibited but your government was hell bent on going ahead which has landed us into this turmoil.” Even after more than a week of people’s movement, it stated, the chief minister was yet realize that he is the cause of destruction and loss of lives, and for which the people were demanding his resignation on moral ground. This demand is not negotiable, the NTAC reminded. “Your placing on record of two deaths is wrong because a third member has lost life for the same reason at Longkhim. This shows how shallow you are.”