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Kohima, Feb. 22 (EMN): Lok Sabha member Dr. Shashi Tharoor, a star campaigner of the Indian National Congress (INC) for the general election to the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), said the grand old party will provide a fair alternative to the people of the state for better governance.
Addressing a public meeting at the Congress Bhavan in Kohima on Wednesday, the Congress leader expressed confidence that like-minded people and parties would come forward and give an alternative, even as opposition, which he said, is still better than having an opposition-less government, which exists only in Nagaland.
The parliamentarian said the Naga people are adorable, courageous, strong and compassionate to their ethos; that they deserve better and not deceptions, corruption, dishonesty and inefficiency that have been there since statehood.
On the party’s vision for the state if it comes to power, he ensured uninterrupted electricity, saying that the government has failed to provide even such facility, which is no more a luxury but a basic necessity. He also took a dig at the government for poor road connectivity and water supply in parts of the state.
Pointing out that medical college is necessary to build a robust healthcare system, he said the Congress will complete the much-awaited institute and a nursing college, as well as enhance the education sector within a year after the election, as has been promised in his manifesto.
He also highlighted the need for increasing the intake at agricultural and veterinary institutes, saying that health and education deserve priority.
Citing promises made by the government, including the assurance to set up Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), which he said has evaporated into thin air with no signs of establishment, he told the gathering that the people should hold the government accountable for promises made to the citizens.
Tharoor said he is very eager to see an end to the Naga political issue, which he opined is overdue.
While admitting that the Congress government at the Centre failed to succeed in arriving at a solution despite trying, he said he would congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he resolves the Naga political issue.
In the meantime, he sought to know what’s taking so long for the government to solve the issue after signing the Framework Agreement in 2015. On this, he claimed the government had slowly backtracked and continued the peace talks, before declaring in August 2019, during the tenure of RN Ravi as Nagaland Governor and GoI’s Interlocutor that the issue would be solved in three months but it hasn’t happened to this day.
On this, he jokingly asked, 'How bad is the BJP mathematics?'
He went on to say that a political solution must be arrived at to let the unfilled tremendous potential be achieved and be a part of the mainstream.
The Congress leader recalled the announcement made by former Prime Minister Jawarhalal Nehru in 1959 for creation of Nagaland state, before it officially became a state on December 1, 1963, with a special provision in the constitution through Article 371 (A), guaranteeing certain autonomy and rights, protecting and safeguarding the rights of the Naga people.
However, he wondered if the BJP government will also abolish Article 371 (A) after what had been done to Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. He also claimed that the ruling government at the Centre has a narrow and monolithic idea of India.
He added that the Congress has the desire to preserve the special status for the state of Nagaland, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary of statehood on December 1. He lamented lot of things that are needed to be achieved not been achieved.
Taking a dig at Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrashekhar’s recent statement during an election campaign that ‘BJP’s ideology is the constitution of India’, Tharoor claimed the saffron party’s ideology is Hindutva, which is nowhere mentioned in the Constitution of India. He also alleged that the BJP is saying one thing to the citizens of Nagaland and another to the rest of India, ‘intending to fool the people’.
Asserting that the BJP has been fooling the people of the state for too long, he said: ‘Let not BJP conceal its basic orientation, which they have said throughout the time in India since they came to power in 2014, that they believe in one nation, one religion, one language (Hindi), one leader and one culture.’
While maintaining that the Congress celebrates the constitution that assures equality irrespective of caste, religion, language and geography, he said the BJP leadership has no right to speak one thing in Delhi and Hindi speaking states, and differently in Nagaland.
“We cannot allow this kind of rhetoric to continue to fool the people of Nagaland,” he said.
Pointing out a series of attacks on the minorities, especially to Christians in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, he questioned the silence of Modi government on such incidents.
Tharoor stated that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are an infringement on the rights of every Indian citizens, adding that he had spoken against it both inside and outside the Parliament.
On the CAA, he said the Constitution of India rests on the fundamental tenet that religion does not matter in conferring citizenship, which is completely independent.
He also pointed out that the UCC is still shrouded in mystery as no one knows what it consist of, what it will change, abolish, add or subtract, as there is no draft available for discussion, thus giving a feel that it can be a threat to the special laws given to Article 371 (A).
Claiming that a relentless quest for uniform civil law will result in a worrying situation and that the government will only reveal its content after the 2024 Lok Sabha election, he said the best way to stop the move is by keeping the BJP away from being in power.
With regard to the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), he said the Congress manifesto of 2019 reflected the same, that is, not to abolish overnight but to revisit the issue and remove in a phased manner.
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