Dimapur, Feb 28: The former chief minister of Nagaland, TR Zeliang expressed the importance of having a common platform for all tribes of Manipur to come together and that common platform is the NPF party. He said this during an NPF election rally held at Tamenlong, Manipur on Tuesday as per a press release from the party central office.
TR Zeliang stated that, “Everyone talks about the need for the various tribes of Manipur to come together and take up causes common to all of them. But there is no common platform. This is where the Naga People’s Front comes in to be the common platform. The NPF does not stand for the Naga tribals alone, but for all the tribes and communities of the Hill areas of Manipur. It is heartening to note that there are three Kuki candidates fighting elections this time on NPF tickets.”
On regional and national political parties, Zeliang commented, “I am happy to note that people have realised about the difficulties of serving the constituents by remaining in national parties because they have to go by the decisions of their party High Command. But for regional parties like the NPF we do not have any High Command at the national level. The people are our High Command and we decide according to the wishes and aspirations of the common people. Unlike ours, national parties do not go by the aspirations of the common people and decisions are taken from Delhi which is very far from these remote corners of the country. The tradition of going by the decisions of party High Command is not good for the grass roots people.”He went on to say that NPF party is one of the oldest regional parties in the country and has grown from strength to strength since “it stands with the people and never betrays the people. The sacrifice made by the four NPF legislators who resigned from the Manipur Assembly in protest against the three anti-tribal Bills shows that the NPF does not merely talk but implements its manifesto on the ground. If NPF candidates are elected, they shall work for the different tribes and communities of the Hill Districts.”
He went on to narrate that recent creation of districts like Nonei and Jeribam had further divided the villages of Tousem and Tamei sub divisions and that the Zeliangrong people were “badly divided by being placed in three different administrative states of Manipur, Assam and Nagaland which had made our people minorities in our respective States.
On how the 15 NPF candidates could play a role in the formation of the Government in the 60-member House, Zeliang said the present scenario indicates that no single political party can get majority in the 11th Assembly and that the “NPF will be the deciding factor in the formation of the next election.”
“We are not enemies of anyone but we shall ensure that the rights of the people are not taken away by anybody. We shall not allow anyone to take away the customary rights of the Hill tribes and communities of Manipur. Let us not walk backward, but walk forward for the welfare of the tribal people of the region,” Zeliang said.
In a major political development at Tamenglong, BJP leaders Khangthonang Panmei, State Executive Member of the BJP Manipur and Pouhotlung, Executive Member BJP and ADC Member, Tamenglong resigned from the national party and joined the NPF to strengthen the hands of NPF Candidate for Tamenglong Assembly Constituency Janghemlung Panmei. Seen in the picture are leaders of the NPF today at Tamenglong warmly receiving the duo.
