EMN
DIMAPUR, AUGUST 23
The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Sunday pulled no punches, and spared no one, while launching a scathing attack on the joint venture of the government of India and the government of Nagaland to construct a Rani Gaidinliu memorial in Kohima.
“Since the BJP came to power at the centre in 2014, it has been on a relentless pursuit to eulogize Gaidinliu and her ‘heraka’ faith to gain foothold in Nagaland and the state government headed by Chief Minister TR Zeliang in its lust for power and money is more than happy to oblige,” stated a press release from the NPCC on Sunday.
While the NPCC has no objection to the centenary celebrations of her birth anniversary, it does not subscribe to the BJP government’s projection of Gaidinliu as the spiritual leader of the Nagas, it stated. “This projection which is carefully orchestrated by the BJPs ideological mentor RSS is totally misleading with an attempt to create communal disharmony among the Nagas.”
It stated that the BJP government, by acknowledging and hailing Gaidinliu as pro-India Naga icon for her opposition to Naga national movement, has insulted the memory of thousands of Nagas who have laid down their lives and many more who have suffered the brunt of atrocities during the Indo-Naga armed conflict.
“The doublespeak of the BJP government is plainly evident in this whole episode. On one hand it signs an accord with the NSCN-IM by acknowledging and recognizing the uniqueness of Naga history, while on the other hand it props up a leader of a particular faith who was the anti thesis of Naga nationalism.
“This cannot go hand in hand but barring the exception of NNC/FGN who had voiced out, other Naga political groups who are never at loss to give lengthy discourse on Naga nationalism to justify their ‘taxation activities’ have remained silent so far for reasons best known to them,” it stated.
The NPCC also stated that it “strongly condemns the activities being carried out by the state Chief Minister to please his communal BJP masters and the zealousness by the present occupant of Raj Bhavan who is unable to shed his past upbringing as RSS Pracharak.”
NPCC will not tolerate the attempt of the BJP-RSS combine to replicate its deadly cocktail of politics laced with religious color to polarize the people of Nagaland and distort the history of Nagas, it asserted. “The BJP along with the spineless DAN government in the state will be held solely responsible for any outcome that may arise from this issue that has far reaching ramifications for the Naga society in the days to come.”
It also warned that posterity would never forgive the present leaders in the DAN government who are unable to speak up or take a stand when communal forces are silently subverting our identity and history to impose their own thinking and way of life on our people. “It is time for Naga intellectuals and leaders of civil societies to educate our people on the evil designs of the communal forces who are now at our doorstep before it is too late,” rallied the NPCC.
