Rising People’s Party enters Nagaland’s political arena

Our Reporter
Dimapur, July 3 (EMN): A new political party called the Rising People’s Party (RPP) has sprung in Nagaland amidst the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic with a dream and vision to bring ‘real change’.

“Governance is beyond dispensing the monthly salary of government employees. The present political party has disappointed us, the system has failed us. There is injustice in governance and in fact there is no governance, there is misappropriation and corruption everywhere”, stated Joel Naga, the President of RPP.

RPP adopted a constitution on October 2, 2020, and the party got registered with the Election Commission of India on June 6.

 Addressing journalists during a press conference at Tourist Lodge Dimapur on Saturday, Naga stated that RPP was ‘truly a party of the people’ and they want to bring back the ‘morality and decency’ in politics.

“We want to declare to the Naga people that we have no money and we don’t believe in money politics. We believe the support and prayer of our Naga people is enough for us to succeed in electoral politics”, he stated.

He said that the members of the party want to bring in real change. “It is not rhetoric but an ideal which we are prepared to sacrifice for”, he said adding that RPR is an alternative platform for the Naga people.

He stated that they were committed to women and youth empowerment and believe that women should be in positions of power and be a part of the decision making process.

He expressed that the youths were frustrated as there were no job opportunities, and there was ‘disappointment everywhere’.

“There is no rule of law in the state and the ‘khushi-khushi’ culture prevails in Nagaland. The party is for the emergence of a new social order which is based on justice and equality for all,” he added.

 “We are for the emergence of a thriving middle class. We are farmers, agriculturists and entrepreneurs becoming the engine of growth, replacing the salary economy of the state. We believe that the Naga people should control the economy of the state,” he stated.

Naga further expressed that the party believes in a self-reliant Nagaland, which is in tune with the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.

He thus appealed to the Naga people to believe in them to prove their worth and urged the youths and women to join them so that they can bring an electoral revolution.

“We appeal to the people to join us so that we can build a new Nagaland”, he added.

“The RPP wants to be transparent with its dealings, we want to set an example and for this purpose we have declared our assets as per the constitution of the party and we will make this asset we will post it in social media platforms,” he maintained.

Speaking about women empowerment, he said that they believe in constitutional processes and as women constitute 50% of the population, they deserve to be heard.

He maintained that all the parties have failed the Naga people. The RPP is about giving good governance to the people and therefore at the end of the day, “we leave it to the people whether to accept us or to reject us.”

He opined that the term ‘new Nagaland’ means clean election without use of money power, muscle power, no booth capturing and ‘thus it is a very comprehensive term’.

He informed that the intention of the party is to set up a candidate in 2023, ‘but only time, their hard work and sacrifice can tell how many members or candidates will be in the assembly’. He asserted that they were only looking for fresh faces as candidates.

Naga further said that they were against anything that is detrimental to the existence or to the well-being of the citizen.

‘And as far as illegal taxation and all the anti-activities are concerned we have to uphold the law,’ he added.

He clarified that as far as he is concerned, there was no conflict of interest between the Action Committee against Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) and RPP because they both stand for corruption.

 “It is only logical that the former members and the certain members come together to pursue this agenda of anti corruption and bring about clean governance”, he shared.

Zhokhoi Chüzho, the president of the party youth wing, stated that he joined the party not as an actor or an artiste but as a concerned citizen of Nagaland.

‘Our main focus and concern is that we want to create a platform as much as impossible for our youths,’ he said.

‘We want to focus more on self-reliance and self-sufficiency. We want to bring some good improvement in the economic section especially. So I don’t think we are trying to copy another political party or as such but we are here as a concerned citizen of Nagaland, he added.

Office bearers of the party Joel Naga as president, Dr. Abeny Khuvung as vice president, Amai Chingkhu as  general secretary, Lhikhro Kreo, Adino Seb and Imsumongba Pongen as secretary, Oka V Chisho as director of strategic economic group and  Vitho Zao as treasurer.

Working group members are Simon Kileo, Hukavi T Yeputhomi, Inakato V Jimomi, Kuholy Chishi and Tsuipu. 

Rising youth (youth wing of RPP) members include Zhokhoi Chüzho as president, Tokato Chishi as general secretary, Kevitho Kera and Külüpoyi Vadeo as members; B Tsaliba as secretary of legal cell and Esther Lipok and Avi Naga under media cell.