ACAUT and PSAN to hold sit in protest from November 15
DIMAPUR, November 12 (MExN): The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland and the Public Service Aspirations of Nagaland (PSAN), along with various student organizations, have decided to embark on a sit-in protest starting November 15.
The protest scheduled to be held at the New Secretariat Complex, Kohima, will be held in an attempt to pressure the Nagaland State Government to implement a strong state Lokayukta Bill.
A press note from the ACAUT Nagaland media cell informed that for 3 years several organizations have been appealing to the Nagaland State Government to implement the Nagaland Lokayukta. The first appeal was made on October 31, 2014 at the Kohima ACAUT public rally and later a petition was submitted to Chief Minister in November 2014.
A High Powered Committee too had recommended the setting up of the Lokayukta. On October 31, 2015, more than 70 college students, professionals and ACAUT members walked from Dimapur to Kohima to highlight the importance of setting up a Lokayukta and a signed petition demanding its implementation appended by hundreds supporters along the route – Jharnapani, Medziphema, Pherima, Piphema, Peducha, Zubza- was submitted to the CM.
The ACAUT press note claimed that “most recently, more than 65,000 people demanded the setting up of the anti-corruption body at the ACAUT rally held on August 25.”
“For a failed state like Nagaland with no roads and bridges, and reeling after scams after scams like mismanagement of MNREGA funds, double withdrawals in the Finance Department, rice & fuel scams, mid-day meal scams, non-payment of students’ scholarship, etc., all at the cost of the common man, the Lokayukta is the only body which can check the utter corruption around us,” the ACAUT stated.
It informed that during a recent meeting with the Standing Committee of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), the ACAUT had rejected the government’s draft proposal on Lokayukta. “The Standing Committee suggested that the ACAUT submit its own draft proposal and a next meeting was agreed upon,” it revealed.
The ACAUT condemned the “cowardice” of the Standing Committee in refusing to meet the ACAUT team which had already submitted its draft proposal on October 2. “Therefore, the intention of the government is clear- that it doesn’t want the anti-corruption body to see the light of day,” the ACAUT deduced.
It further called upon the Naga people to understand that is running out. “With elections around the corner, and the ECI likely to announce elections in December or 1st week of January, 2018, the only period within which the Lokayukta Bill can be passed or for the government to be able to act on the issue cited is November or 1st half of December,” it added.
“We wish to tell the Naga people that this is a just fight and it is in the interest of the future generation,” the ACAUT stated, and invited the Naga public “who believe in a better Nagaland to join us in the protest.”
“We are not against any individual, entity or any political party and therefore, all Naga people are requested to respect our objectives and support us,” it said.
The ACAUT further informed the Nagaland State Government that the agitation may be intensified at any point of time if the government fails to respond to their grievance. If the government is indeed serious about tackling corruption in Nagaland, then it will take more than mere public rhetoric, publicity stunts and statements in media to convince the people of Nagaland, it added.
The ACAUT asserted that concrete steps and stringent measures like setting up of Lokayukta are needed. It meanwhile also appealed to the Angami Public Organisation (APO) that the Public Co-ordination Committee (PCC) spearheading the agitation be exempted from the purview of the APO ban on agitations, as the sit-in protest will be solely confined to the New Secretariat Complex.
