Congress ruminates over twin losses in Nagaland

Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 7 (EMN): The Congress party in Nagaland attributed its defeat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections to “infighting”—a disease that has been plaguing the party for decades.

This statement came from none other than the grand old Congress man, Dr SC Jamir while speaking at the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee general session held at Congress Bhavan, in Kohima, on June 7. Only months ago, the Nagaland Congress had actually expelled Jamir from the party—perhaps the clearest indication to the sorry state of affairs within the Congress in Nagaland.

While expressing shock at the depths the Congress has fallen to, Jamir said that ‘defeat is indeed a fact and a reality’ that should not prompt a hunt for scapegoat.

He was of the opinion that, in the current political balance, even Rahul Gandhi was not enough to match up to the personality of Narendra Modi.

According to Jamir, Indian democracy has lost its charm of secularism and socialism today. He challenged the party leaders and workers to formulate a new vision for the people of Nagaland, rather than running away from the problems. “We need to strengthen our kitchen first,” he said.

“Shall we not, as a political party commit ourselves in the service of the people and divorce ourselves from entertainment and enjoyment?” queried Jamir. Further, he urged the members to introspect on how far is a person committed to the service of the people, for the unity and solidarity of the party.

The party needs to come out with a new approach to the economic problems, social transformation, rejuvenation and re-organisation of educational system, of the Nagas, he said. “It is time we should initiate and evolve new approaches to all the problems which are happening for the last so many years,” he added.

Jamir also observed that Nagas want “something new and lucid.” The party on the other hand needs to change its modus operandi according to the applicability and suitability of local needs.

On the Naga political issue, he maintained that its time that Congress, as a political party stop being ‘always trying to be neutral.’ It is high time that the party clearly spell out its stand on the ongoing political dialogue between the political groups and Indian government, he added.