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Our Correspondent
Ukhrul, Feb. 19 (EMN): Naga People's Front (NPF) President, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu on Saturday said that the party is against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).
He said this while addressing the NPF Ukhrul unit duringd a campaign programme at Ukhrul district, where three candidates -- Leishiyo Keishing, Kashim Vashum and Ram Muivah – from the party are contesting in the upcoming Manipur assembly elections on February 28 and March 5.
The president said that CAA is a threat not only to the Nagas but also to the whole Northeast. On AFSPA, he said: "As long as this Act remains the whole Northeast India remains the army training ground.”
He also said that the NPF’s top priority is solution to the Naga political issue and urged the people not to deviate from the cause.
He maintained that four NPF MLAs were elected in the 2012 general election and had performed their duties well on the floor of the house. However, they had to resign before completing their tenure after the then Congress government tabled three anti-tribal bills and the Manipur Legislative Assembly passed a resolution against the solution to the Naga issue.
He lamented that despite the sacrifice made by the MLAs, the people elected three Congress MLAs against the resigned seats in the 2017 general elections.
Maintaining that the sacrifices made by L Dikho, Samuel Risom, Victor and Alexander Pao 'remain on accord', he said the past mistake 'should not be repeated but a lesson for today's welfare’.
He also lauded the sacrifices made by the leaders, supporting the party despite not being allotted the ticket; appealed to the party workers and electorates to ensure that the NPF candidates win.
"Ukhrul is considered to be the hotbed of all social political activities,” he said while lamenting past poor performance of the party in the district.
He appealed to the electorates to stand up for NPF, not to be confined but spread out and be leaders of the party in all the Naga-inhabited areas. He also exuded hope that they won't fail to meet the expectations of other Nagas.
Neither alliance nor written commitment with BJP
Meanwhile, Liezietsu maintained that NPF is with the BJP in Manipur, while reminding the two occasions the party had ‘saved the Biren Singh-led government despite being small in number’.
‘Except that we have been associated with one another, there is neither alliance nor written commitment or agreement with BJP. It is an association but if everything goes well, that association will prevail,’ he said.
‘NPF believes integration of all Naga areas’
Meanwhile, Secretary General of the NPF, Achumbemo Kikon said the party believes in the integration of all Naga-inhabited areas, and maintained that no political party other than the NPF ‘talks about protection, preservation of culture and identity, upholding the rights, and protection of downtrodden people’.
Kikon reiterated that the party will not deviate from its aims and objectives and also appealed to the electorates to elect the NPF candidates.
Nagaland MLA, Dr. Chotisuh Sazo, in his address, said that India is a union of states with each state having its own specialties, while the Northeast region has its unique culture, traditions from others. He added that the Govt. of India has also recognised the uniqueness and history of this region and its people.
He also stressed on the need to protect and maintain the people's own identity, culture, traditions and historical rights. "There are national political parties who want to bulldoze and wipe out all these uniqueness from this region. They want to wipe out our constitutional rights, "he said.
He maintained that despite this, NPF has withstood all these forces that come to wipe out this regional uniqueness, characters and qualities.
'This party speaks for our people, works for our people and works to bring peace into our land', he said.
‘In order to keep regional balance and a check on national parties, and to protect our constitutional rights, we need to come together, work together and support NPF candidates,’ he stated.
Meanwhile, Nagaland's Legislator, Y Vikheho Swu apprised the gathering that NPF is a party that can bring the Nagas together while it works for the interest of the Nagas, the hill people and other neighbours.