The Congress is constrained to make a public statement on the reply of the NPF-led DAN coalition signed by the Chief Minister which was received on 20th Nov. 2012.
The hidden agenda of the NPF-led DAN coalition, whether in the formation of JLF or adoption of its July 19, 2012 resolution, was nakedly exposed from its resolution No.1 of November 20, 2012 when it had brought in, their election manifestoes of 2003 & 2008 and several resolutions adopted by its CEC and the General Convention of the party as the reasons for its inability to resign from Assembly. JLF was formed and its July 19, 2012 resolution on Naga political issue was adopted cutting across party lines in the greater interest of the Naga people.
Therefore, where does the question of upholding their commitments as promised in their election manifestoes arise? The manifesto of the NPF-led DAN coalition has nothing to do with the JLF resolution. They can’t fool the Congress or the public with such nonsense excuse.
The crux of the JLF resolution No.3 was to expedite and facilitate the political dialogue and conclude the talk before the State general election due in March 2013. To achieve this goal, the focus of appeal for early solution was more on the Government of India than on other negotiating parties. The JLF had committed to make a sacrifice towards the solution.
The winter session of Parliament is starting on November 22, 2012. This will be the last Parliament session before the State general election in Nagaland. The resignation of 18 Congress legislators and one independent MLA may not make impact but the en-mass resignation of all 60 MLAs will certainly have tremendous impact. If the JLF is sincere and serious in its effort, the only option left before the election is to create an issue of national importance out of the political dialogues for zero hour discussion giving the fact that the BAC has not included the agenda in its list of business in the current winter session of Parliament.
The legislators of 11th NLA had committed to collective decision on paving the way as and when needed. The Congress had responded to the call of urgency which was conveyed to the Chief Minister and the NLA Speaker on 12th Nov. 2012. In its letter, the Congress had unambiguously spelled out that the objective was to accelerate the political dialogues for a logical conclusion. The Congress legislators had offered to sacrifice the rest of the months of the present house which was rejected by the DAN legislators. The DAN coalition in its reply had made it clear that they will not resign before the solution.
However, the question of resignation does not arise after the solution because then, the compulsion will take its natural course. After the solution it can no longer be called a sacrifice. In any case, election process normally takes fifty days to complete. The term of the present NLA will end by mid March 2013. That leaves merely sixty days before the notification of election. The Congress had acted in good faith at appropriate time.
Every elected member enjoys the mandate and confidence of his electorates. The NPF-led DAN coalition’s narrow interpretation of mandate was an attempt to stay put in power and go to polls with all the State machineries under its control. To interpret mass resignation as running away from Constitutional duties and responsibilities was a direct negation of JLF resolution No.3 which stated that the JLF had responded to the cry of the people for permanent peace. The desire of the Naga people in general is solution before the election. By refusing to resign they have betrayed the trust of the general public which is nothing short of recalling their mandate to the DAN coalition. The claim to respect and uphold the people’s voice and carry out constitutional duties and responsibilities was farce. The DAN legislators are only trying to further their own interests. They want to enjoy their seats of power till the end because they know that, if not all, most of them will not be re-elected.
The apprehension on the calculation that President’s Rule will be imminent by the resignation of sixty MLAs was unfounded and uncalled for. The contention that it will precipitate a situation of suppression and undemocratic rule was not only misleading but also a figment of imagination ,demeaning the democratic ethos of the constitution. There’s no denying the fact that in the past, President’s Rule had resulted in some unpleasant situations. Times have changed, so also the level of all round development. If the DAN coalition has the calculation to storm back to power by its negative campaign on President’s Rule, they are greatly mistaken.
Article 356 of the Indian Constitution is very clear on invoking President’s Rule. PR is not the absolute and ultimate answer post-resignation. Other Constitutional options are always available.
The Union Govt. will not rush to invoke PR without exploring alternative options. However, if PR is invoked, it will be DAN government’s own doing seeing its rancid mis-governance. The DAN government is afraid of PR because many of its members will be brought under surveillance for corruption.
President’s Rule may have its own negative bearings. Nevertheless, with the kind of unpopular DAN government in place today, the people of Nagaland would rather prefer President’s Rule. If PR is the answer to end the corrupt DAN government and meet the need of time constraint for political solution in the next few months, people must welcome it.
Now the Naga people have come to know who are for political solution and who are against it.
C. Apok Jamir
Parl. Secy. to CLP
