TR ZELIANG’S EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION ISSUE
DIMAPUR, JUNE 19: Reacting to statement of Congress Working President Ayang Aonok that Chief Minister TR Zeliang should apologise to the people of Peren district, the NPF Peren Division today said, the demand of a person like Aonok who has never contested any election in his life and whose party does not have a single legislator in the Assembly is absolutely shameless, ridiculous and absurd.
“We are at a loss as to how the Chief Minister has belittled the people of Peren. Or does the Working President of the Congress party, a non-entity here in the district who might not even know where the district is, think that we the constituents and people of the district of Peren are so naive as to think the rare opportunity of having our representative as the Chief Minister of the State is belittling?”
Touching on Zeliang’s educational qualification issue, NPF Peren Division President, Haigam Kauring in a press note said, the people of Peren district do not need a highly qualified person such as an IAS, and IPS, and Engineer or a Doctor to represent.
“We select our own and of our own choice, and we have found that a simple person like TR Zeliang is best suited to represent us since he, like most of us, is from a humble background and knows the problems we common people face and the solutions we need. We do not need Police Officers to treat us as we are his jawans; nor do we need bureaucrats to treat us like we are his grade IV staff: we need a son of the soil who knows the requirements of the land, and we will continue to support the leadership of TR Zeliang in the years to come, because we need someone who loves the people and works ceaselessly for the welfare of the people.”
Stating that it is up to the Congress party to search for a leader who is highly qualified in the arts, sciences, medicines or engineering, the NPF said that people are happy with the leadership of TR Zeliang.
“And we are fed up with the educational qualification issue. After all, what has qualifications got to do with service to the people? What is qualification in politics? Does anyone need to qualify to enter politics? Is politics anything like NPSC or UPSC where one needs certain degrees to qualify participation? We the grassroots level party workers do not bother about our leader’s qualification; we are contented that his leadership qualities have been recognised at the State level when he was made the Chief Minister, and at the international level when he was given a prestigious International Award at Bali, Indonesia.”
The NPF said, “It is our constitutional right to elect our leader and once we have elected our leader as MLA, it is for the legislators to elect someone to be the Chief Minister and TR Zeliang has been duly elected as the Chief Minister and has been running the affairs of the State for more than two years now.”
“He should keep in mind that after filing nomination papers in 2013, and at the time of scrutiny, the Congress candidate and his election agents were given all the papers and asked if they have any objection or have clarification to make. However, they declared before the Returning Officer that they have no objection.
But after facing defeat in the polls, and after three years have lapsed, how is it that the allegation and objection is being raised now on the nomination papers of the Chief Minister? Let the law take its course. Why so impatient? And why this trial by media? Is the simple fact that TR Zeliang is in the Chief Minister’s chair hurting Mr Aonok in any manner? We can understand his jealousy, but if he wants to be the Chief Minister, why don’t he first contest the elections? An arm chair politician will always remain in the arm chair, not in the chair of power.”
“We do not want to wash the dirty linen of the district in public, but we do have some people from the district who are professionals in filing RTIs and filing petitions in the courts for material returns! Used by political parties for political ends, these individuals are basking in the lime light presently, but when the dusts settle down and the gleam in their eyes fades, they will come back to the Constituency and face the ridicule of masses who will ask them what good they have achieved for the people by trying to demean the very person who is trying his best to uplift the condition of the entire district and the State! Apart from the proverbial 30 pieces of silver they might have earned for themselves, and the possible pats on their shoulders by politically-vested interests, these individuals have not done any good to the district or the people. However, they are at a liberty to go file cases and make fools of themselves. In the long run, they will rue and weep and apologise for what they are doing now.”
“As for the Congress party leaders, we can only ask them to wait for 2018 when they might not even get proposers to back their candidates in the district, that is, if they find anyone willing to contest on their party’s ticket!”
