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Dimapur, Feb. 2 (EMN): Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma, who is on a tour of Manipur and Nagaland, said on Sunday that his objective was to meet the National People's Party (NPP) leaders, to take stock of the political situation in Nagaland, to look into issues regarding the organisation and to strengthen and prepare NPP for the future in Nagaland.
Sangma was addressing a press conference at Niathu resort in Dimapur. He stated that the tour was planned to ensure that the party functions as one unit with complete unity.
He also called on Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Governor RN Ravi.
"Given the situation that is in Northeast as a whole, and Nagaland particularly, there is political vacuum and NPP is in a very strong position to fill up that vacuum," Sangma asserted.
"We are the first party in the Northeast to be recognised as a national party. That speaks a lot about how people are accepting the party throughout Northeast. We will continue to ensure that the NPP raises the issues and concerns of the Northeast so that NPP can become a platform where people can believe and trust in issues related to the states and the Northeast," he assured.
When asked of his opinion on Naga political talks, he responded that it was an important issue and affirmed that as the party leader, he supported the ongoing talks.
"After the task is over and finalised, it is not going to be only for Nagaland but it will impact the entire socio economic situation in Northeast. All the people in the Northeast are looking forward to the issue; and for all the stakeholders involved, sooner the talk/agreement is over/finalised it will be for the interest of Nagaland and the region," the Meghalaya CM said.
He commented that there was no uncertainty between the NPP and PDA coalition ‘as the party was part of PDA’. Sangma acknowledged that there were certain issues that came up and after two of the NPP MLAs had merged with the NDPP, the NPP ties with PDA was severed.
"Now for the future, we will take the decision as to how to move forward and that will depend on the party leadership here and all our members, and we will do the best in the interest of the party and the state," Sangma said.
On the defection of the two MLAs, he said the party has a case in the court and the case is still going on. "We are yet to get the verdict from the Supreme Court," he said.
On the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he said the party has been clear with their stand taken from day one; and that the government of India may have its own reasons for what they are doing. "We are very firm that the government of India must come up with provisions to protect the state of Assam and Tripura, and we are firm that certain areas in Meghalaya which does not fall under schedule areas, we have demanded, should also be exempted."
"We are firm with our stand and our fight is same, and we will continue pressing the government of India to ensure that more mechanisms are put in place so that the interests of the indigenous people are protected. We are also concerned that there should be a balance between protecting our people and maintaining the economic activity of the region," he stated.
Mechanism, he said, should be in such a manner ‘where we do not discourage different kinds of investment, yet this mechanism should be used to protect our people’. The state governments have an important role in ensuring that the rules are framed in the right manner, he stated.