• Repeats demand: CM must resign soon
• Says Zeliang’s reply deserves ‘befitting punishment’
Kohima, Feb. 4: The agitating Nagaland Tribes’ Action Committee (NTAC) –an amalgamation of community organisations–has declared that it was now on to “strengthening the movement for justice and in the interest of the Naga people” to take the matter to “its logical conclusion.”
The declaration comes looped with a direct reiteration of its demand that the chief minister of Nagaland step down and “soon”, no less.
As part of its push, the NTAC has convened an emergency meeting of the tribal organisations scheduled to be conducted on February 7 in Kohima town.
The NTAC convened a meeting on Saturday in the state’s capital town. The committee has resolved ‘that the democratic struggle of the people started by the people of the state will be taken to its logical conclusion.’
The leaders denounced the response of Chief Minister TR Zeliang as ‘most irrational’ who ‘instead of owing responsibility, blamed the democratic protest of the tribal bodies and JCC for the killing of two youths and injuring several others by police firing at Dimapur and Longleng, resulting in mob violence at Kohima and other parts of the state.’“If the chief minister, TR Zeliang has any sense of modesty and reason, must understand that his accusation is a mockery to democratic principles, and common sense and calls for befitting punishment,” NTAC said in a statement on Saturday.
TR Zeliang is ‘banking on 42 MLAs who are forcefully confined within his bungalow and showing their support as a basis not to step down as the chief minister,’ the committee stated. This ‘simply tells upon his level of reasoning.’
Accusing the government of sidestepping the January 30 agreement (to postpone the elections), NTAC Convenor KT Vilie and Secretary CT Jamir explained in the statement said, ‘It is pertinent for the people of Nagaland to know that the fallout is purely due to the cabinet’s devious decision to sidetrack from the 30th January 2017 gentlemen’s agreement at Chumukedima witnessed by NBCC to postpone the scheduled ULB elections.’
Also, the committee accused the chief minister of ‘dubiously trying to hide behind the Constitution by deliberately ignoring the turmoil and hardships being faced by the people of the state.’ He is shying away from the truth like an ‘ostrich hiding its head in the sand with its body fully exposed,’ the committee quipped. The chief minister trying to hold on to his post ‘with blood on his hand’ is ‘devoid of any moral right to continue in office but to step down immediately,’ the committee added.
As stated, the NTAC has informed that an emergency meeting with all the tribal Hohos will be held on February 7 at 11 am in the APO conference hall, opposite Oking Hospital in Kohima town.
The committee has requested all tribal organisations to attend the meeting and ‘contribute views for strengthening the movement for justice and in the interest of the Naga people.’
The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), spearheading the opposition to ULB elections in Nagaland, has announced that banks – both nationalised and private – have been exempted from the bandh it has imposed on government institutions.
On Friday night, the JCC had informed that all government institutions and vehicles in Dimapur, except for schools and colleges / training institutes, would not be allowed to function. Now, the JCC has decided to exempt banking institutions as well.
Addressing a news conference on Saturday night, JCC officials told reporters that sanitation workers employed by the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) would also be allowed to “clean the town” before 9 am.
It has also asked shops / business establishments across Dimapur “to put up black flags” in their respective stores from Sunday onwards “to exhibit the agony and grief of the people” in the aftermath of the killing of two youths on the night of January 31 last.
“In line with the demand of the Nagaland Tribes' Action Committee, the JCC urge chief minister TR Zeliang to step down immediately on moral grounds as he has deliberately undermined the joint agreement signed in presence of NBCC members,” said Supu Jamir, the convener of JCC.
When pointed out that the DAN legislators have already declared their support to Zeliang, he said that the chief minister of Nagaland was not for “42 MLAs” but for the people of Nagaland.
“The action of the state government amounts to betrayal of the Naga public and as such, the JCC makes it clear that Mr TR Zeliang has no moral right to act as the chief minister of Nagaland. It is needless to state that in a democracy, the voice of the people is supreme.”
It has also asked the state government to issue an official notification “with regard to the nullification of ULB elections” in Nagaland.
The JCC has also demanded the suspension of the commissioner of Dimapur police and the superintendent of Longleng police along with the police personnel involved in the firing incidents on the night of January 31 at Longleng and at Dimapur.
On the government’s decision to transfer – not suspend – the commissioner of Dimapur police, the JCC were of the view that the officer should immediately be suspended “in view of the January 31 incident wherein unarmed agitators were killed mercilessly”.
