Dimapur, February 10 (MExN): The Joint Coordination Committee of Civil Organizations, Tribal bodies and Indigenous Citizens of Nagaland (JCC) has once again appealed to all citizens of Nagaland State to observe the statewide bandh called on Monday, February 11.
“The bandh so scheduled is expected to be democratically peaceful and voluntary participation by every citizen knowing the issues for which this mass agitation is necessitate as such law will have immense ramifications of both direct and indirect adverse impact on one’s future,” stated the JCC in a press release from its Media Cell.
The Committee appealed to all Tribe Hohos and GBs to coordinate and monitor the bandh to “see that under any circumstances no violence should take place but it should be peaceful observance.”
“The bandh is a conscience call to the people to rise on the occasion and protect our rights, privileges, dignity and security,” the JCC noted.
It maintained that this form of mass agitation is to show the resentment of the people against the “lackadaisical attitude” of the Government of India (GoI) in “dilly-dallying the conclusion of political negotiations for years.”
“The Nagas are now feeling agitated for the fact that years of negotiations without apparent solution tantamount to taking Nagas for a ride. The promise of such magnitude of ‘Election for Solution’ by GoI is becoming the ploy by which the Nagas are tactically suppressed once again. The GoI is expected to be transparent and more honest with its citizens rather than giving false hope and ultimately betray them citing excuses,” the JCC maintained.
Rubbing salt to the injury, it said, the GoI is “hell bent” to impose its “political agenda” in the form of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 (CAB) which was passed by Lok Sabha on January 8.
“The Bill expected to be tabled in Raja Sabha anytime hence this was confirmed by Ram Madhav, National Secretary, BJP as it would be processed as supplementary item. Against the Bill, the people of North East, cutting across political barriers, vehemently voiced their rejections of the Bill.
However, it is regrettable to note that the Prime Minister of India undertook visits to few NE states with the intention to pacify the people,” the JCC further stated.
“Whatever assurances the GoI has given on CAB and its implications, one cannot be duped for the reason that there is no mechanism by which the indigenous people can be protected locally or nationally from the menace of the law once CAB is enacted,” the JCC reiterated, observing that the “relentless lobby of GoI for the Bill amounts to total disregard to the sentiment of the NE people.”
