Culture nationalism has nothing to do with us – Wungtung

Kohima Bureau Kohima, March 24 (EMN): While the opposition bench continued to express concern over atrocities committed on Christians in different parts of the country during the fourth day of the ongoing budget session, NDPP legislator Toshi Wungtung today said the PDA government also condemns the atrocities on minorities such as Christians and Muslims across India. Reacting to allegations from opposition members on the stand of the PDA where BJP is a partner, Wungtung asserted that in Nagaland the NDPP and BJP combine was based on a well-defined political relationship, built on mutual trust and on the needs and aspirations of the welfare of the people which will know no gender, colour, creed such as tribalism but shall focus on development through democracy. Regarding atrocities, he questioned if they were exclusively confined to BJP rule. “What about the atrocities during the Congress regime and other regimes in New Delhi?” he asked. “We condemn violence on any religious sect and minorities. Whether it is the VHP, the RSS or the Hindu Maha Sabha or any other cultural extremism, this (NDPP-BJP) alliance has nothing to do with them and we can assure the House and the public at large that culture nationalism has nothing to do with us...we believe in a secular and cultural fabric and the welfare of the people,” Wungtung stated. He also reminded that Nagas have been since the ancient times, surrounded by great philosophers which are known or akin and similar to Christianity-Hinduism, Taoism or the present communists in China, the Buddhist Myanmar, Bangladesh-a Muslim nation but never been influenced by outside culture that easily. “We have never allowed our polity to be defined. We have stood firm and continue to do so,” he said. Wungtung also made Biblical references where Nineveh and Babylon, the cities of the believers (in Christian context) though surrounded by atheists and ‘non-believing’ nations, had flourished. Similarly, he said the Nagas need not fear nor should the public be misled. “I lament that the governor’s address should have contained policies of the government, yet what we find, are only regular statements,” declared opposition MLA Dr. Chumben Murry. He expressed dismay that the governor failed to mention that his government would look after the needs of the constituencies of those in the opposition bench. Murry mentioned that the governor had talked about his government’s motto as ‘deeds not words’ and also as ‘peace for development and development for peace.’ He wondered if the government can have two different mottos. He also reminded that the latter was the slogan of the NPF during the 2013 election campaign. Recalling that Chief Minister Rio and former MLA Neiphriezo Keditsu have, while campaigning for NDPP, mistakenly referred to NDPP as NPF, Murry wondered if there was ‘something wrong’ with the NDPP. On a lighter note, he said Rio can return to the NPF and the latter might consider offering him the chair of deputy chief minister and they could share seats on a 50:50 basis. As for the PDA’s campaign slogan ‘change is coming’, he suggested that the actual change should start from the grassroots. An opposition MLA, Amenba Yaden managed not only to incite sniggers among those present in the Assembly hall, but turn heads as well, including the opposition leader TR Zeliang’s when he attempted to criticise the governor’s statement on works to be taken up soon for several road projects, and it backfired. Yaden expressed apprehension that the government had been talking about roads for the ‘last five years’ but nothing was done at the site. “If you give a statement every year but do nothing in the site, it becomes a humiliation, it’s a mockery only,” Yaden stated, perhaps forgetting that he too was part of the ruling bench ‘in the last five years.’