Phek, April 21 (MExN): ACAUT Nagaland held two public rallies on “Clean Election” at Pfutsero Town and Phek Town and an interactive session at Chizami Town.
According to a press release from the Media Cell ACAUT Nagaland, the rally at Pfutsero town was held on April 17 and was followed by an interactive meeting with Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (CBCC) and Chakhesang Clean Election Movement. Later on, another interactive session was held at Chizami Village which was attended by village leaders, elders, GBs, youths, women and general public.
The Public rally at Pfutsero was organized by the CBCC along with the ACAUT Pfutsero unit and chaired by Wezote Kreo, Convenor, ACAUT Pfutsero Unit. Invocation was pronounced by Rev. Dr. N. Chiero, Senior Pastor (PTBC) while Rev. Dr. Vezopa Tetseo, Executive Secretary, CBCC gave an exhortation. Speech was delivered by Dr. Kuzhopoyo Tunyi, Convenor, Chakesang Clean Election Movement, and Zunie Veyie Pastor, RBC, said the closing prayer.
The second Public rally on clean election was held on April 18 at Phek Town, organized by Phek Town Youth Society, Phek Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Phek Town Students Union, and ACAUT unit Phek. The rally was chaired by Neizote Venuh, Convenor ACAUT Unit Phek and Vice president PTYS.
The President, Phek Town Youth Society, in his welcome speech thanked the ACAUT team for coming to Phek and claimed that there was no Naga “as truthful as” Khekiye K. Sema.
ACAUT Chairman Joel Naga in his speech at the public rallies stated that though the clean election initiative was started in the year 2012 by NBCC, the electoral malpractice in the 2013 election was the worst and the money spent was the highest citing Youth-Net’s survey that more than 900 crore was spent in 2013 elections.
Therefore, he asserted that ACAUT as a responsible stakeholders decided to join hands with the Church in tackling this menace. Stating that “Nagas cannot go on complaining forever” about the affairs of the state nor the NBCC carry its clean election campaign forever "like the Naga freedom movement", Joel called on the youths to make an impact in the 2018 elections.
Unless there’s a change in 2018 by having clean elections and election of good and godly leaders, the frustration of youths is going to reach its zenith with fearful consequences, he cautioned while adding that the 2018 elections will turn out to be the worst “if Nagas do not reform”.
Convenor, Public Mobilization ACAUT, Tia Longchar, in his speech pointed to backdoor appointment as a factor in creating “feelings of tribalism” as successive Ministers keep appointing their own tribesmen at the cost of merit.
Khekiye K. Sema, IAS Retd., (Consultative body member ACAUT) in his speech questioned the logic of sending children to schools and universities opining that, under the present circumstances “our children have no future” if we continue to sell our votes.
He maintained that the public has no right to demand good roads, hospitals, good schools, etc. after selling votes.
At the interactive meeting at Chizami Village, various questions were posed to ACAUT members from the issue of corruption in the government to the slogan of “One Government One Tax” and whether ACAUT would be contesting in the coming general election 2018 to which ACAUT members categorically responded that it was a watch-dog, a people’s movement formed to check rampant corruption and multiple taxations and that it has no intention of transforming itself into a political party.
In all the gatherings, leaders and elders of all the surrounding villages attended the rally. Taking a cue from the CBCC, the ACAUT too has decided to use the word ‘movement’ for its clean election programme, the Media Cell informed.
