DIMAPUR, APRIL 20 (MExN): The Naga People’s Front (NPF) today termed it “most unfortunate” that the “anomalies in the Rural Development Department pointed out by the Naga People’s Front is threatening to snowball into a major controversy with tribal and clan organizations getting involved, sidelining the original issue.”
After raising the issue last week, the NPF in a press statement today said that it had expected the government to come out with some clarifications. But it lamented that the government had “maintained silence even after several rejoinders were published by various organisations.” “But the silence of the party seems to have been misconstrued and the matter has now been taken into a startlingly different direction: The Leader of Opposition, Mr TR Zeliang, is now being targeted,” the NPF said.
“This is indeed, a calamitous development and shall surely deal democracy a grievous blow, for, what is the meaning of democracy when the opposition is deterred, discouraged and disparaged from pointing out the anomalies and discrepancies in governance?” the NPF questioned.
“That society where the voice of Opposition – be it from the political parties or from well-meaning citizens – is muzzled, gagged or muffled is certainly not heading in the right direction and the people should prepare themselves to go back to the Dark Ages,” it added.
The NPF said it has been accused of “making a personal issue out of the matter.” However, the facts and figures furnished by the party vis-à-vis allocation of funds to one particular village have not been repudiated, and those accusing the party of harbouring a personal vendetta have now singled out the Leader of Opposition, the party added.
It claimed that the NPF “does not have anything against any individual government official.” “The officer identified in the earlier revelation is the Administrative Head of Department and had there been any other officer as the AHoD, that official too, would have been identified by name, especially so if he or she happened to reside in the village which was allotted the abnormal amount,” the NPF said.
It further claimed that the NPF per se “does not have anything to gain by raising the issue but had taken up the same for the general good of the entire State.” The party is of the considered opinion that every village should benefit, and not only some to benefit at the expense of others, it stated. The party meanwhile appealed to all concerned “not to blow the issue out of proportion,” and also urged the department to “rectify the anomaly in fund allocation for the betterment of all Nagas.”
