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Dimapur, July 16 (EMN): Standing his ground, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) president, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, affirmed that those holding the rein of government should own responsibility for breakdown of law and order in the state and step-down on moral ground without shifting the blame on others as per norms of democracy.
Liezietsu was responding to the statement issued by the ruling NDPP pertaining to a letter written by Nagaland Governor to the state chief minister on June 16. To substantiate his claim, Liezietsu stated that the governor had pointed out the failures of the state government point-by-point and concluded that ‘law and order has collapsed’.
He recounted the statement of the chief minister during his briefing to the media persons on June 30 after the cabinet meeting, claiming that ‘law and order situation has tremendously improved as compared to pre-ceasefire in the 60s and late 90s’. In contravention to the claim, Liezietsu has referred to the NSF’s statement on July 1 which stated that ‘the governor’s letter reveals Centre’s unwillingness to solve Naga issue’. On the same day, The Naga Rising (TNR), another group, had claimed that ‘certain ambiguity in Governor’s letter needs clarity.’
In this regard, Liezietsu has rubbished the NDPP’s claim that ‘law and order situation has drastically improved and peaceful during the last two decades’ by reminding the governor of the chilling situation till later part of 1990.
Liezietsu has also referred to the statement of the NPF legislature party on July 3 about the state government’s response to the governor’s letter which had clearly pointed out that it holds no water and claimed that ‘the common men in the market are better versed with the reality than the state government’.
Liezietsu also recalled issuing a short statement the following day in support of the views expressed by the party’s secretary general Achumbemo Kikon, during a debate on North East TV on June 30, wherein Kikon had asked the chief minister to step down on moral ground ‘since law and order has been declared collapsed by the governor’.
In his statement, Liezietsu stated that Naga political problem and law and order are two different things, which we should not mix up. He also stated that extortion has got nothing to do with the Naga political problem and no organisation in Nagaland would support it.
“The question of morality is involved here. Morality is important for those who understand human virtues. If any one does not understand it, let the matter end there and allow the people to evaluate their moral degree,” Shürhozelie stated.
While stating that NDPP leaders were surprised for his support to such stand, Liezietsu was all the more surprise to find them ‘floating around without touching the ground.’
“They are also talking about logic. If they want to go by it, let them come forwards to justify their stand point-by-point in the governor’s letter. They said that ‘law and order situation has tremendously improved as compared to pre-ceasefire in the 60s and 90s’. But the Governor was not talking about the situation 20 years ago; he is talking about the situation of today and of 20, 30 years back,” Liezietsu added.
Stating that a government was expected to talk about its achievements and programmes, Liezietsu was surprised that NDPP takes more interest in gossip type of talk. He cited example of a ‘beef festival’ organised by the NPF party, which was received with severe criticism.
“What is wrong if we organise such festival. Even if they take it as a weapon to win the favour of non-beef eating people to go against us, we are not worried because beef eating is part of our food culture,” Liezietsu affirmed.
Also referring to the recent ban on dog meat, he would rather prefer to watch how NDPP people would observe the ban.
“They talked about the crisis of ULB election in Nagaland in which lives were lost and office buildings were burnt down. It was very sad indeed but the next question is “Who is responsible for all these incidents?” Let the public guess and bring out the answer by themselves,” Liezietsu maintained.
On the allegation that NPF was trying to create a rift between the PDA and the governor, Liezietsu has advised them not to have such imaginary fear if they only know who the governor is.
Further responding to the NDPP’s allegation against the NPF of exposing its frustration for sitting in the opposition for a few statements and comments issued about the governor’s letter, Liezietsu felt that it could turn out to their own frustration in due course of time.