Kohima, April 7 (MExN): 37 primary members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Nagaland have tendered their resignation in a letter to the Nagaland Unit President. Among others, the members include HK Khulu IAS (Rtd), Dr. Kuhoi Zhimomi, Anito Khulu, Zandi Domta and five core team members of the BJP Zunheboto Unit.
“We cannot agree with the principles and philosophy of the BJP in general particularly Hindutva policy, the present dispensation in the State led by the State President and the behaviour and functioning of the Organizing Secretary Anantha Mishra is highly objectionable and abominable,” stated the 37 people who signed the letter of resignation.
They stated several other reasons for their decision in their lengthy resignation letter. One of them was the ‘extreme disappointment’ of Naga people with the Indo-Naga peace talks which could not be brought to fruition despite the Framework Agreement of 2015 and several rounds of negotiations with Naga National Political Groups during the NDA rule.
The former members, including senior state executive members of the Party, also remained miffed with the national Party’s stance on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Though it could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha, the BJP National President had announced in Lakhimpur and Diphu in February this year that “it will be a part of BJP manifesto.”
“If the Bill is passed and becomes an Act, it will have tremendous effect and will change the demography of the State and the region,” noted the former BJP members, refusing to be part of “anti people and governance” policies.
Citing examples of cow lynching incidents, church burnings and likelihood of passage of an anti-conversion bill in addition to the CAB, the former members maintained that “people of North-East India are in the danger of losing their identity and uniqueness.”
Furthermore, they warned, “Constitutional provisions such Article 370 is proposed to be scrapped; Article 371-A may be next.”
Local issues
As per the BJP Constitution, 75% of the Office bearers and Executive members are required to be senior members. “This has been completely thrown to the wind by the present President and his team and 90% of the senior members are not given any assignments. In the case of many office bearers and executive members, it is not even clear whether they are even primary members not to talk of active members,” stated the members in their resignation letter.
They also pointed out that “many members who had left the party before the last assembly elections to either contest or support other parties and are now office bearers in BJP. Loyal members have no place in the party.”
Even the BJP-created principle of ‘one man one post’ has been flouted in Nagaland with the State President being a cabinet minister thereby giving inadequate time to the Party, they lamented.
Pointing to a “serious disconnect” between the State Party President and office bearers, the former members revealed that “There has been no meeting of the party to discuss any important issues pertaining to the functioning or betterment of the party. After the general assembly elections 2018, there was never any party meeting held even to felicitate the elected members or take stock of the position of the party or discussions with the candidates who had lost the elections.”
Finally, the “immoral activities” of the BJP's Organizing Secretary were highlighted as a roadblock apart from the “cases of cheating, forgery and embezzlement by the State President” that has “made the rank and file of Nagaland BJP hang their head in shame.”
