Bonnie Konyak
Dimapur | May 25
Amidst growing speculation over the next political move of the suspended NPF MLA and former Finance Minister in the DAN Ministry, K. Therie today in an exclusive interview with The Morung Express communicated in clear terms, his affinity to the Congress party when he said, “basically I am a Congressman”. Explaining the delay in his decision for the coming polls despite the open door policy of the Congress, Therie said that it was not yet a “matured time”. Therie also took care to explain that he had not left the Congress on his own accord but the situation had arisen due to differences over the Naga Political issue.
Though still evading a straightforward answer, Therie echoed the popular sentiments of the Congress party of “One Government, one tax” policy, which he opined needed to be established by the elected leaders. “Nagas cannot afford to suffer like this; we need to change the Government. And we will change the government”, he asserted. Asked about his opinion on the demand calling for S.C. Jamir to return to state politics, Therie said that it would be a good move for the Congress, since he was the most mature and able leader that Nagaland had so far produced.
Therie also lashed out at the ruling DAN alliance for having deviated from their Common Minimum Draft. He said that the Draft had stated that DAN would work towards securing a negotiated settlement of the Naga issue and not about facilitating the negotiation between the GoI and the Underground groups, as they were now publicising. While lauding the Chief Minister for admitting to a break down of law and order during the inauguration of Peren Model District Headquarter, Therie said that in such a situation, Rio should hand over the government to “people who are more capable”.
The MLA also shared that since he had been a member of the Common Minimum Drafting Committee, he had been keen to work in the true spirit of the Draft towards a solution but he regretted that the DAN had failed in its mission. Talking of his trail without suspension by the NPF party, Therie said that the party’s intension was to paralyze him without really expelling him lest he started talking against them. “Though technically I am still an NPF MLA, they take me as an opponent”, Therie said. On being asked if he would rejoin the NPF if the invitation was issued, Therie smugly replied, “that will be my decision. It is not upto them now”.
Replying to a query on possibility of rallying together a ‘Third Front’, Therie said that a third party was not necessary at this point since the present parties were enough.
Theire also expressed deep concern for the Naga political issue which needed a solution based on plebiscite, centered around the people. He regretted that on the Naga issue, the elected representatives were in fact playing a minimal role of facilitating the negotiation. Saying that in a democracy the people must have the upper hand, Therie said that even the undergrounds may have to listen to the mandate of the people.
Therie also lambasted the UPA Government for the casual nature of the negotiation of “two nation”. He questioned, “After 54 meetings, is there anything more left to be said?” The MLA lamented that the Ceasefire agreement which was recognition of a parallel government, was without a funding support mechanism, which was why the undergrounds had to collect taxes to sustain themselves, leading to the fight for area dominance between the factions.
Therie added that his visit to Delhi following the meeting of the Resurgent India, had been to seek clarification on the UPA report which claimed substantial decline of violence and extortion in the North East. He said that this report had been prepared from the angle that no security personnel had been killed or extorted by the insurgency when in reality; the economy was being strangled by insurgency. Development in the state was only possible if peace could be brought with a solution of the Naga political issue. “The very principle of negotiation means give and take and so the solution must be one that is ‘givable’ for the Indian Government and honourable for the Nagas”, Therie analyzed.
Summing up the different factors of the Naga political unrest, the MLA said that there was a poverty, of courage in the leadership. “The people cannot continue to pay four taxes. We need to change and we will change”, he summarized on a confident note.
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