Don’t forget people from beyond your constituency, Yitachu told

Tizu laments neglect from elected leaders

EMN
Dimapur, May 1

The depreciative practice of local politicians in Nagaland developing only their immediate constituencies or pushing developmental programs for their vote bank populations is not a national secret. While not spoken about openly, the trend is what the public widely believe as true. A reflection of that perception came to the fore recently when a simple letter from a concerned citizen earlier this week – criticizing Phek’s development board leaders of favoritism–emerged in the local newspapers. The letter set off a chain of rejoinders, claims, and justification between some of the policy makers and the infuriated citizen.
Now, a community organization from Meluri has issued a statement, on Thursday that could corroborate the feelings of the citizen. A statement from ‘TAPWO’, understood to be Tizu Area People’s Organization, has asked a local legislator to not forget “at least the other area of his constituency people”. The TAPWO has asked the legislator in question, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education Yitachu, to start looking beyond his area and take care of the Chakhesang Naga community in Meluri they say have been neglected by every representative elected from the area.
“On behalf of the general public of Tizu area under Meluri assembly constituency in particular, we would like to appeal the honorable representative Shri. Yitachu who is presently holding the chairmanship of DPDB Phek not to forget at least the other area of his constituency people…” the statement said.
“Fortunately or unfortunately, it may be mentioned that nine Chakhesang villages falls under 20th Meluri assembly constituency since the beginning of our statehood and has been under a dozen of our representatives including the present honorable parliamentary secretary for the third time on the chair,” the organization stated through its president Vechineyi Khesoh, and general secretary Shekhohu Chizo.
This arrangement was made by ‘forerunner leaders as our brothers Pochury people alone could not make a constituency at that time,’ the TAPWO explained. “Secondly, in order to create cordial relationship amongst brotherhood so long we remain together as Chakhesang. But, today, this good sense of our leaders has victimized us on both sides of the coins because of the fact that our Chakhesang representatives both in the past and present ignored our grievances for being part of 20th Meluri assembly constituency while our own representative makes no differences”.
The TAPWO explained the area’s years of misery in one paragraph: “To say more about a neglected area like us, no development, no special packages, no backward quota, no employment, no DUDA quota and no road connectivity till today though we considered ourselves most backward area in all round compared to other area even within 20th Meluri assembly constituency”.
The TAPWO offered an instance of the neglect: “…educational backward quota has been availing either by those advanced Chakhesang brothers or by Pochury brothers respectively. A distance of 3 kilometers in between K Khuno and Tehephu village is yet to be connected till today though, our honorable representative himself had taken the trouble of walking in between during the last election tour”.
The organization lamented “our kutcha road” (basic, untreated road) to K Khuno, Tehephu and Suthotsu and from Sohomi to Kizari via Kotisu are only seasonal roads that can be used only from November end to March/April only “as our temporarily constructed bridge with bamboos and woods will be always swept away by unfriendly monsoon rain and so no road to these villages from April onward”.
Tizu area also falls under Meluri assembly constituency and is the least developed constituency as pointed out by the legislator’s personal secretary, the statement said.
The organization said it had been “anxiously anticipating those genuine and long felt demand of the above mentioned area could be taken up at least for the first time in the DPDB meeting by our hon’ble representative who is now heading the DPDB, Phek”.
“But Alas! What wrong have we done so that not a single genuine and long felt demand of our people could not be forwarded to the govt. when our own elected representative himself chairing in an opportune time,” the TAPWO added.