[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he NPF President Dr Shurhozelie stoutly defending the NPFs alignment with communal BJP will be an unfortunate chapter in the history of the state. Perhaps Dr Shurhozelie and the NPF leaders have long forgotten their upbringing and beliefs due to years of rampant misgovernance that has completely erased their conscience to distinguish between good and evil. The communal colors of the NPF is glaringly evident when they carried out an election rally at City Tower point Dimapur on Sunday (06/04/2014) when majority of the believers were attending church services all over the state.
Over the years, the NPF govt had reduced the relevancy of Sundays by holding official functions, important meetings and observing festivities on a day that is supposed to be revered by Christians and taken as rest day even by the non believers. It is unfortunate that the NPF leaders have imposed an alien culture on the Naga’s in a marked departure from our beliefs. The ready acceptance of communal forces (BJP-RSS) as their high command and following the ways of communal forces goes to prove that the power hungry NPF leaders like Rio and Shurhozelie can go to any extent to cling on to power. If only these leaders have shown their flexibility with regards to Naga political issue as they did with joining communal forces, solution would not have eluded the Naga’s for the past 17 years. The booklet brought out by the NPCC has frightened the corrupted NPF leaders as their misdeeds have been carefully documented. It will be a matter of time when these corrupted NPF leaders like TR Zeliang and Zhaleo Rio will join their masters, Neiphiu Rio and Shurhozelie in getting ensnarled by the long arm of law to face the consequences when their hold on power declines.
The lists of the NPF govt’s misdeeds are endless and the state is currently staring at the prospects of financial emergency being declared any time leading to harsher measures in the coming days. To cite a few examples, the school education department received an amount of 216.65 crores from 2008-2012 under SSA program; while the utilization report was mere 34.19 crores in which 181 crores went unaccounted. Under RMSA program, the state received an amount of 6292.18 lakhs from 2009-13 but the actual expenditure report was only 5708.495 lakhs, clearly highlighting financial misappropriation of 583.685 lakhs. The Dimapur-Niuland road covering a distance of 28 km consumed 28.83 crores in 2010-11. However, works on ground was more of filling up potholes and black painting the existing metalled road thereby proving a case of shoddy workmanship displayed by the contractors in connivance with the then minister for R&B in DAN-II.
On BJPs Manifesto
As brought out by the NPCC on several occasions to the BJPs commitment on five core issues, the BJP election manifesto which was released today expectedly brought out its commitment to abrogate Article 370 in J&K, facilitate construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, protect and promote cow and its progeny and to draft a Uniform Civil Code.
While Rio has loudly proclaimed the seriousness of BJP to find solution on the Naga political issue, the BJP manifesto that was released today rather promises to deal with insurgent groups in North East with a firm hand, implying that they will never yield to the demands of insurgent groups. The BJP Manifesto is therefore a threat to ongoing Naga political peace talks apart from imposing their culture and beliefs on the Naga’s who are religious minorities in the larger context of the nation.
The NPCC reiterates that Chief Minister Rio has miserably failed to achieve anything in the past 11 years and his desperate attempt to escape from state politics in the guise of seeking greater role for Naga issue is devoid of any substance. Rio and the NPF are therefore fully responsible and held accountable for the following issues that has reversed the state into wrong direction.
1. Failure to find political solution to the Naga problem during 11 years in power after promising solution within three months in 2003.
2. Muddying Naga political movement with professed policy of equi-closeness with some particular group;
3. Simmering social unrest as a result of unabated taxation and high handedness carried out by numerous parallel govt’s;
4. Total breakdown of law and order; writ of the state hijacked by nefarious elements where the state govt remains mute spectator;
5. Empty state coffers after 11 years of blatant financial mismanagement and rampant corruption; Deficit touching 2000 crores, 2730 teachers without salary for the past four months.
6. No Works Programme for 2013-14; state infrastructure in dilapidated conditions for the past 11 years;
7. Total collapse of providing basic amenities like power, water, healthcare, education and proper communication facilities;
8. Concentrating development in a particular district; severe imbalance in developmental works in other parts of the state giving rise to mass resentment and demand for Frontier Nagaland.
The Congress led UPA coming to power for the third consecutive time is a foregone conclusion with the BJP led communal forces in complete disarray. Modi’s one man show that was given enough coverage by the mainstream media has failed to convince the masses who have benefitted from Congress flagship schemes aimed at upliftment and empowerment of people without any discrimination. Therefore, the people of Nagaland should not miss out on this opportunity to reject the communal forces that have no concern for the people other than to impose its divisive agenda.
Issued by: Media Cell, NPCC
