Dimapur, August 19 (MExN): A day after the Nagaland gpovernment’s consultative meeting with all the tribal hohos, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) on Thursday termed the meeting ‘another sham exercise’.
Alleging that law making in Nagaland has shifted from Nagaland Legislative Assembly to State Banquet Hall, it accused all 60 elected members of having abdicated their responsibility “to focus only on raiding state exchequer.”
With NPF joining the government to form the Nagaland United Government (NUG) under the ‘pretext’ of Naga political solution, the NPCC alleged that the intensity of political gimmicks will increase while common people continue to suffer without any end in sight.
The NPCC however asserted that it would not remain silent, as it called out the government on certain issues discussed in the consultative meet.
‘Convenient outsourcing’
Accusing the state government led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio of ‘con veniently outsourcing’ policy making decisions and governance issues, the NPCC made particular mention of the government’s decision to entrust the 14 tribal hohos of Nagaland to resolve the Peren-Dimapur boundary demarcation issue.
Noting that two committees had been set up in the past, whose reports are already with the government the NPCC said that, instead of taking a decision as it is mandated to, it the government has thrown the ball into the court of the 14 tribal hohos.
Holding the government accountable for allowing inter village disputes on boundary demarcations to take the form of inter tribe dispute, the NPCC also said that the government has washed off its hands and shifted responsibility on the 14 tribal hohos.
Cautioning that such a decision would prove to be ‘counterproductive’, the NPCC urged the government to recall the same.
‘Implement RIIN immediately’
Further, the NPCC termed the Chief Minister backtracking on RIIN as ‘another sign of cowardice’ despite forming an opposition-less govt.
With the Banuo Commission on RIIN already having held exhaustive consultations with various tribe hohos, civil societies, pressure groups and other stakeholders before submitting its report, the NPCC said that “seeking opinions of civil society organsiations or going for multiple rounds of consultations is just a ploy to delay and thwart the implementation of RIIN.”
Condemning the state government for its ‘double standards’, the NPCC demanded immediate implementation of RIIN with December 1, 1963 as the cut-off date without further delay.
On reservation for
women & ULB polls
The discussion on women reservation in ULBs without having representation from any women body from the state is a big insult to our womenfolk, the NPCC asserted.
Recounting the violence and mayhem during the ULB agitation in 2017, the NPCC said that even after four years, the state government has failed to book the instigators and perpetrators of violence in the 2017 incident.
“As long as Nagaland remains a part of Indian Union, constitutional obligations will have to be fulfilled and sourcing twisted opinions or interpretations on legal aspects of women reservation and its applicability in Nagaland vis-a-vis Article 371A will not address the discrimination and betrayal to our women folks,” it added.
