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(L-R) Jaansillung Gonmei (BJP), GK Zhimoni (INC), Kelhuneizo Yhome (NDPP), Achembemo Kikon (NPF), and Samuel Sumi (NPP) during the Town Hall forum that was conducted at the Don Bosco Institute in Dimapur. (Em Images)[/caption]
Dimapur, Feb. 18 (EMN): A Town Hall forum aiming to help people understand policy matters of political parties and how they might put together their ideologies and position, was conducted at the Don Bosco Institute in Dimapur.
The Town Hall meeting was an initiative of news blog The Naga Republic, publishing house Heritage Publishing House, and English newspaper The Morung Express. The theme for the event was ‘The Big Picture.’ The event hosted interactions with candidates and representatives five political parties: the Indian National Congress (INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), Naga People’s Front (NPF) and the National People’s Party (NPP) who are contesting elections to the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
INC
The INC’s representative to the event was GK Zhimomi. He said that most of the members of the regional parties in the state were a product of the Congress party. “The incompetency (sic) of different party leaders leads to the formation of a new party. We are evolving and not putting up a defeater’s front.” This was in reference to the INC being out of power for 15 years and why the party had failed to put up sufficient number of candidates in the forthcoming elections.
There is a ‘famine’ for leaders, Zhimomi said. People should invest in “ideal and young leaders.” He said that wealth does not define a person’s leadership skills. As an instance he asked how “Baba Ramdev has acquired many shops and land in the state to sell his Patanjali products” while for locals to attain such a position is difficult.
When asked about the plan of action for the INC if they win, Zhimomi replied that the INC will take accountability of the bureaucracy. “Something is wrong in the delivery mechanism in the state and those accountable must be punished for not delivering.” This he said in regard to financial management such as funds to be used for the salary of teachers, scholarships etc., which reportedly are not been handed out to those for whom the money is meant. He concluded by saying that the Naga people should consider the ‘local dynamics’ instead of “copy-pasting” from other states and implementing them in Nagaland.
NPF
A candidate contesting from Bhandari with the NPF party, Achembemo Kikon was asked why the people should vote for his organisation when the NPF have had enough time to deliver but not much had changed. Kikon made this claim: ‘Sentiments and the identity of the people are met and the party has worked for the empowerment of women for the last 15 years.’ He assured that investment in the education sector will be one of the main priorities of the NPF. He asserted that providing free education to girls till the college level was ‘in active talks.’
The NPP’s representative to the event was Samuel Sumi. He said that even though the party was set up in relatively a short time, it was ‘beginning with a “clean slate” with no “political baggages”’ and somehow ‘holds the trump card.’ He said that given the political scenario in the past, there was no option but to have an alternative party ‘with a clean agenda’ which he said was needed. He assured that one of the top measures the NPP plans to take is to propose a medical college and an engineering college, and even—hopefully—an ‘IIT’ (Indian Institute of Technology).
The NDPP sent its youth president, Kelhuneizo Yhome as its representative to the Town Hall forum. When asked by the moderator if the NDPP was like “old wine in a new bottle,” Yhome disagreed that leaders have had to come from political and bureaucratic backgrounds.
“There are many young and dynamic leaders coming up from the party.” He said that the NDPP’s policy was ‘clear’ and that good governance and anti-corruption stance shall be their priority. “There will be transparency in the state government.” He assured that if the NDPP comes to power, the manifesto of the party will be put into place from day-one. “An engineering college will be seen visibly if the party comes into power.” He said that skill development and job fairs will be conducted and training and coaching centres for competitive exams in collaboration with universities outside will be set up.
Jaansillung Gonmei, general secretary of the Nagaland BJP unit, was asked how the party tends to woo voters of the state when his party’s philosophy and core policy making was based on Hindu / Hindutva teachings. Gonmei said that the BJP falls under a lot of “doubt and skeptism” but—he claimed—most of the doubts were “unwarranted.” He blamed it also on information technology: ‘due to social media all these doubts arise.’
In his assessment, ‘most of the pictures and media circulating online’ were ‘mostly outdated’ and “nobody was present to verify doubts about the BJP build up.” The saffron party’s representative assured that the govt. would implement ‘more schemes and revamp the entire system’ by introducing ‘more vocational training.’
