Naga Hoho condemns Governor’s “hate speech”

EMN DIMAPUR, JUNE 29 Nagaland Governor, PB Acharya, whose gubernatorial charge also extends to Assam, has been accused of indulging in “derogatory” and “hate speech” against the people of the Northeastern states during a lecture he had delivered on June 26 last at Mayapur Temple in West Bengal. The Naga Hoho has said that it was “duty-bound to condemn the uncalled hate speech” purportedly made by the governor. “The Naga Hoho is surprised and saddened by the constitutional head of our state Nagaland, in his lecture at the temple saying, ‘There are some states where Krishna name cannot be taken. It’s a forbidden place, in our own country. If you say, ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna’ you will be punished. Such places are also there in the Northeast. Let us change this mindset and take the Krishna philosophy to all the corners of the Northeast and club the eight states with one name NAMASTE,” read a press statement from the Naga Hoho. The Governor should come out openly and expose the state(s) of the Northeast which/who had carried out the persecution against the followers of Krishna, or for that matter the chanting of “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna” exact quotation of his speech, it demanded. “As a constitutional head, coming out with the clubbing of eight states with NAMASTE is taken note of, where ‘N’ stands for Nagaland, ‘A’ for Arunachal Pradesh, ‘M’ for Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram, ‘A’ Assam, ‘S’ for Sikkim, ‘T’ for Tripura and ‘E’ for East, however, when his prerogatives as the guardian of the Indian constitution of the state, isn’t it a preach and failure as the head of the state to protect, promote and uphold secular fabric at the highest platform? “ the Naga Hoho asked. It asked the governor whether the Northeast grow at par with the rest of the country together without witnessing any attacks based on race, culture, appearances etc., if the Northeast people embrace the philosophy of Krishna. “The Naga Hoho is convinced that, such ideologies itself is a threat to the very existence of secularism. The Governor making such a derogatory speech in the mainland is very unfortunate and one can imagine how any of the listeners will be charged up against the Northeasterners. Governor inciting such a religious gathering will further alienate the Northeast. “His travel outside the Northeast was considered as the goodwill ambassador of our Northeast people who will share our happiness as well as the challenges we meet, however it is very unfortunate that he is propagating other agendas detrimental to the very existence of the Northeast,” it stated. While recollecting Acharya’s association with an organization for which he was “working very fervently” prior to his gubernatorial assignment, the Naga Hoho said that he however should not indulge in activities “opposite” to his assignment as the head of a state.