Dimapur, Feb. 16 (EMN): In a significant development, the central executive board of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) on Saturday decided to urge the People’s Democratic Alliance—of which the NDPP is a partner—to include Dimapur in the ambit of ILP regulation.
A statement from the board informed that considering how Dimapur has seen an “unprecedented increase of non-locals, and their dominance over economic and business activities whereby local entrepreneurs have been made to suffer”, it resolved to urged the PDA to include the foothills into the ILP ambit—“a proposition popularly felt necessary by mass-based social organisations too, in recent times.”
It resolved to urge the government to consider issuing work permits besides strengthening the existing ILP regime “so as to generate funds which could be utilised meaningfully for the welfare of local youths and keep a stringent check on those who enter or stay in the state.”
The board expressed appreciation to the Election Commission of India for its fair and unbiased decision on the issue of “a frivolous and motivated case filed by a person of dubious character” seeking de-registration of NDPP as a political party.
“The involvement of the opposition in this issue had been crystal clear from the very beginning in spite of their denial; but the ECI has seen through the charade and has passed a judicious order which shall go down the annals of Indian Constitutional history that it, ECI, can and shall never be used and misused to score political brownie points by politically-vested interests,” the statement read.
The party’s board stated that the coming together of all the Naga political groups to the negotiating table with the government of India was a clear indication that all the groups have heeded to the aspiration and desire of the Naga people for a permanent and honourable solution to the Naga political problem. “This is an encouraging development and the house resolves to urge all the negotiating parties to expedite the process of dialogue so as to usher in an era of peace and normalcy in the society.”
It further appreciated the NDA government for heeding to the sentiments of the Northeastern people and its non-NEDA partners vis-a-vis the Citizenship {Amendment) Bill, and desisting from taking it up in the Rajya Sabha earlier this week.
“The sagacity of the central government is deeply appreciated, and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his cabinet colleagues' intervention with the union government on this count have been most timely and shall be remembered fondly by future Naga generations. Though the CAB 2019 might die a natural death, the NDPP is of the considered view that the problem of illegal immigrants in the state is alarmingly threatening now more than ever and the matter has to be tackled on a war footing lest we Nagas are reduced to second-class citizens in our own land in the near future.
“With this in mind, the house resolves to urge the PDA government to strictly enforce the ILP system with diligence unlike administrations under earlier political dispensations; and to streamline entry of illegal immigrants while ensuring legal citizens of the country are not deprived of constitutional rights in any manner, so that they contribute positively to a robust economy of the state.”
It also appreciated the Naga civil society groups who participated in the Jan. 31 meeting at Chumukedima and came out strongly against the Citizenship Bill. “The house also reiterates and extends its support to the civil society organisations’ resolution that Ariticle 371 (A) of the Constitution of India protects the rights and privileges of the citizens of Nagaland from all acts of the Parliament unless the Nagaland State Assembly resolves by a resolution.”
Interestingly, it also expressed gratitude to the PDA coalition partners “for resolving to support the NDPP nominees as the consensus PDA candidates for the coming parliamentary and by-elections.”
