Demands full-disclosure of the peace-agreement
Morung Express News
New Delhi | August 18
Members of the Indian National Congress alleged on Thursday that the BJP is using armed-groups in the Northeast and particularly the NSCN (IM) in Nagaland to win state elections, thereby threatening the integrity of India.
Convening a press-conference at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi, which was live-streamed on several social-media platforms on August 18, Dr Ajoy Kumar, AICC in-charge of Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim stated as such, “Our allegation is very clear...that the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the BJP is using armed-groups to win elections in 2023 that is why there is no solution.”
“What could be more anti-national than to use armed groups to win elections?” the Congress leader questioned.
Kumar mentioned that for the last 25 years, there has been a cease-fire agreement in Nagaland and on August 3, 2015, the Prime Minister announced to the country that they had found a solution to the Naga issue.
“News channels were saying nothing like this has happened in the last 70 years...but the PM has lied to the country because there is no solution for the past seven years,” he said. Even though on October 31, 2019, then Nagaland Governor RN Ravi had claimed that the issue has been resolved and talks had concluded.
Compounding the issue, he said, was the non-disclosure of the peace-agreement signed between the GoI and NSCN (IM). “That is what is interesting, we all jumped and screamed without actually seeing what the agreement was,” he added.
Kumar also noted how in the last few years, 60 MLAs of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly had said that they were ready to have the agreement implemented while Civil Society Organisations were demanding for an early political solution. Yet for the BJP party, winning elections is more important even if the nation loses, Kumar said.
Propping up his own party, Kumar noted how the Congress has always thought about the nation first. He referred to the August 15, 1985 Assam Accord which was signed by then ruling government knowing fully-well that the party would lose the state elections to the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). But for Modi and his party, they don’t want to lose elections, he said.
The Congress leader also insisted that the BJP had used the same tactics of winning elections with the help of armed groups in the recently held Manipur state assembly elections as well. “As an Indian, is there more anti-national than the BJP?” Kumar asked again.
He further accused Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio of having close ties with the NSCN (IM), thereby helping him win elections. Kumar alleged that there were investigations connected to the Chief Minister about huge assets which were swept under the rug by higher ups in the government.
In addition, Kumar questioned as to why Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswas Sarma, being the convenor of the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), is not finding the solution to the Naga issue. “Because they only want to win elections with the help of the NSCN (IM) and it is sad that in this country, harming the national interests, the PM continues to tell lies and half-truths to the people of this country,” he said.
K Therie, President, NPCC, on the other hand stated that the people deserve an honest Prime Minister. “Why should a PM continue to lie and betray the aspirations of the people that want peace and settlement? He came to Nagaland in December 2014 and promised that in 14 months time, he will resolve the political problem,” he noted.
Therie remarked how the BJP has misused the peace negotiations by presenting empty slogans such as ‘Election for solution.’ This is now what we see in clear terms, that the GoI is not ready for any settlement, he said.
"That choice is with the people of Nagaland, the choice was between communalism and secularism and we chose secularism. Today the choice for people of Nagaland is should we opt for communalism or should we go with communists. Because secularism is failing," he said.
"There is no ceasefire and the Election Commission is not doing anything about the weapons. The government has completely collapsed. There is no law and order in the state," Therie alleged.
