Congress throws hat in for lone Lok Sabha seat

Eastern Mirror Desk Dimapur, Feb. 4: The Nagaland Congress unit on Monday announced that the party would be fielding a candidate to the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to be held this year. The party has urged all ‘regional parties, intellectuals, and like-minded citizens’ to support its candidate unnamed yet. The president of Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC), K Therie, made this announcement during a press meet at the Congress Bhavan, in Dimapur on Feb. 4. Calling the present government ‘directionless with all the legislators running out of ideas,’ Therie stated that the citizens under this government have ‘no time to raise their heads in freedom.’ “We have a government that doesn’t respond to its citizens,” said Therie. “The government is even ready to sell its own land by supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016,” Therie continued, pointing out that the government was ‘blinded’ by Article 371 (A) and Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, (BEFR) 1873. However, if the Bill comes into effect, in what way can we stop immigrants from acquiring citizenship? the NPCC president queried. Condemning the government for its “silence” on the Citizenship Bill, Therie stated that the government made a u-turn to oppose the Bill only after being pressurised by political parties, non-governmental organisations, and the civil society. “Can a government make decision without thinking about its outcome?” he questioned. The president also mentioned about Modi’s promise to bring solution to the Indo-Naga political talks within some months, while pointing out that the year 2018 had ended without any concrete result. He stated that the objective of the BJP is “simply Hindutva—to dominate, submerge, and sink the Nagas within its realms.” Therie, however, lamented that the legislators of Nagaland had accepted the BJP for want of chair/position. “Youth have no future with this type of government. There is only nepotism, bias, and corruption with this government,” he claimed. The president talked about Congress as the party that brought Article 371 (A) and the 16-point agreement. He said that the ideals of Congress have always been to protect ‘religion, Nagas’ identity, freedom, tradition, and culture.’ Emphasising that the Lok Sabha election 2019 is just a matter of days from now, Therie called on all the regional parties, like-minded individuals, intellectuals, and rational citizens to come forward and support the Congress. “If Congress comes to power, we would work for the uplift of the Nagas. We appeal to all the Nagas to oppose Hindutva, but to join hands and solve our political solution. Congress will protect the Nagas’ identity, in that, if Congress comes to power, we will oppose the Citizenship Bill,” stated Therie. Recalling that the Congress also had some rift within the party in the past, for which the party had suspended eight persons, Therie revealed that the party had officially revoked the suspension on Jan. 10, 2018. He appealed to them to ‘return home’, saying that the Congress door is still open to them. Therie further mentioned that the party had also issued show-cause notices to four of its members, resulting in their disqualification. However, Therie clarified that it was not an expulsion, and now that their disqualification period was over, he requested those four members to renew their membership. Later, the president made a slight reference about the return of some former members but chose not to disclose their identities officially, stating it will be announced after conducting a formal meeting with all the members. Earlier, the NPCC had joined a nationwide protest against the action of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha members in Uttar Pradesh who re-enacted the killing of Mahatma Gandhi on his 71^st death anniversary by shooting at his effigy that was later burnt down. Moreover, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi (Godse) was ‘honoured with a garland,’ which the NPCC stated, was a shame to the entire right-thinking citizens of the country.