Pan-Naga Hoho will downgrade state’s powers — Therie

Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, Feb. 24 (EMN): Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president, K Therie on Monday said that the party was against the proposed pan-Naga Hoho as it will ‘downgrade’ the state’s power if additional features were added, apart from cultural and emotional integration.

Addressing a public meeting at Mestuben Hotel Conference Hall in Mokokchung town, Therie showed a document of ‘agreed position’ signed between the government of India (GoI) and the working committee of Naga National Political Groups (NNPG).

Therie said pan-Naga Hoho was initially a cultural and emotional integration council, “according to the interpretation of interlocutor RN Ravi”.

However, he said, they added legislative, administration and executive, art and culture, history, education, socio-economic development powers and control over mineral resources later on.

In this connection, Therie asserted that such powers granted to a body would take away the rights of the state assembly and the political rights of the people of Nagaland; therefore, “the party totally oppose the pan-Naga Hoho”, he said.

Therie said that there are enough safeguards granted under Article 371 (A); and the party has no objection if the same safeguards were extended to Naga-contiguous areas.

He also said that Nagas are not safe from CAA ‘because ILP is just a travel document’.

Therie also stressed on clean democratic election. He called upon the electorates, elected members, politicians and social leaders to change their mindset; and stated that money is not the only qualification for a candidate to contest elections.

The NPCC president and his colleagues are currently touring all the districts of Nagaland; they have toured eight districts including Mokokchung. The NPCC entourage will visit Zunheboto, Wokha and Peren districts in the coming days.