‘Nagaland troubled for decades because of non-finalisation of Naga Accord’

Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 19 (EMN): All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of  Nagaland, Dr. Ajoy Kumar on Tuesday stated that the people of Nagaland have been troubled for many decades because of the non-finalisation of the Naga Accord.

He added that the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) supports the implementation of the Naga Accord, and alleged that the ‘only person preventing the Accord from happening is Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and few of his ministers’.

He stated that peace in Nagaland and the resolution, finalisation, implementation, and execution of the Naga Accord had been “hijacked” so that they could continue to keep the state under “perpetual trouble, disarray and uncertainty”.

“So Mr Rio is totally responsible and he has been the stumbling block and that is leading to a lot of avoidable misery to the people of Nagaland,” he alleged.

He asserted that without the implementation of the Accord, the problems which Nagaland is facing will continue to create trouble for the innocent people of Nagaland.

Meanwhile, the NPCC president opined that the resolution of the parliamentary committee from the July 16 meeting had conceded two official agreements that have been made by the Government of India and the negotiating teams, and they have also agreed that the October 31, 2019 concluded solution should be implemented.

“I think this is the new chapter, and the Government of India is now bound. If BJP have any political will, and if they’re faithful to their own commitment, they should implement the political solution, they should settle at the earliest possible without any further delay. Or we will see that the BJP government at the Centre implement it at the earliest possible time,” said Therie.

He added that the people should demand the early implementation of the Agreed Positions and the Framework Agreement, which he said will be the first task.

He maintained that another task for the party is bringing change in the state, while he maintained that the people, communities and the Government can only bring change with the support of the public.

Therie further said the Agreement as interpreted by the parliamentary standing committee of Home Affairs says that “settlement will be within the federal union of India, interstate boundaries shall not be changed which means ‘Sovereignty and Integration’ are no more”.

Therie also claimed that Rio is the roadblock because he ‘refused to recognise’ the Framework Agreement and Agreed Points for so long, before the July 16 meeting.

Meanwhile when asked if the Congress will contest the 2023 General Election, he said the party will contest in all the 60 seats.

Kumar added that there are ups and downs for a political party and it has a strategy now.

He also alleged that the BJP’s agenda is to spread and divide the people, which the people have to fight against.

K Therie re-elected as NPCC president

Meanwhile, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Tuesday re-elected K Therie as NPCC president during the party organisational election held at the Congress Bhavan in Kohima.

This was announced by the AICC in-charge Nagaland, Dr. Ajoy Kumar in a press conference in the presence of Ranajit Mukherjee, Secretary, AICC in-charge of Nagaland and K Therie following the party general meeting.

Meanwhile, Therie acknowledged the electoral college of the Congress Committee for reposing faith in him to continue as the NPCC President. He shared that people are prepared for change although it may not have percolated down to the village level as yet.

He stated that the Congress intend to intensify education to the village levels so that the people vote on issues confronting the people, adding that the people have been deprived of their rights and people’s aspiration have been ignored.