Limalenden Longkumer
Mokokchung | May 25
Discouraging tribalism and factionalism in the state, Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio today said that the Naga people must encourage inter-tribal marriages in the state. He reminded that much development work could not be undertaken because of factionalism and tribalism.
Inaugurating the Ungma village water supply project here at the village, Rio encouraged the Nagas to encourage inter-tribal marriages, which he opined would go a long way in curbing tribalism.
Rio regretted that much developmental works could have been accomplished in Nagaland had it not been for tribalism and factionalism. However, he also said that everybody has today realized that peace must prevail so that development can progress at a faster pace. He added that good days have arrived and relative peace is prevalent and that the pace of development is improving in Nagaland today.
Proving his views about the relative peace in the state as true, Rio said that had there been no peace, and law and order, the very water supply project at Ungma inaugurated today would have been impossible.
While speaking about Ungma Village which is the native village of present Goa Governor and former chief minister, Dr SC Jamir, Rio regarded the village as one of the biggest villages among more than the thousand villages in Nagaland, which has produced many leaders. He said that these leaders are not only leaders of Ungma nor of Aos alone but are leaders of the Nagas as a whole. He said the leaders of the village ought to work for all the Nagas so that the village will be blessed.
Speaking about friendship between Ungma and his village Touphema, Rio said that the two villages became friends when Dr SC Jamir visited the village when Dr Jamir was the chief minister.
The Chief Minister said that though he and S.C Jamir are from different political parties, serving in different places as of now, and upholding different ideologies, Ungma and Touphema has no differences and that their friendship remains. “In good or in bad times, the bond of friendship between the two villages should remain”, said Rio and added that the bond of friendship between the two villages is to be regarded as a message that not only Ungma and Touphema, or Aos and Angamis, but also that Nagaland as a whole is one.
He also wished that the kind of friendship between Ungma and Touphema, and the kind of development going on in Ungma village, will spread across the whole of Nagaland. He called upon the people to pray for it.
The Chief Minister also said that he was overwhelmed with joy that Ungma village is provided with water supply, even more so because this project was a commitment he had made to the Ungma villagers some time ago which has materialized today. In this regard, Rio said that, as a Naga leader, one should not make commitments to the people of things one cannot do, but materialize it if any commitment is made to the people, by any means otherwise one will lose the trust of the people, he said.
The Ungma Village Water Supply Project, which is said to have taken eight months to complete and costing an estimated one crore seventy nine lakhs, is pumped from an area which is 24 Kms away from the village and falls under the territorial jurisdiction of Longsa and Sapotomi villages. It is reported that the two villages of Longsa and Sapotomi has consented to let Ungma village pump the water from their territories “unconditionally, until the river run dry”.
The day was marked by various cultural items presented by various troupes during the occasion. Among a host of dignitaries at the function, also present were Minister Imkong L.Imchen, Minister, Parliamentary Secretaries Kipili, Toheshe, Lewang Konyak, Kaito, and MLAs Kotovi and C.Apok Jamir.
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