DIMAPUR, JUNE 19 (MExN): The Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) Peren Unit today hit out at the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) for the latter’s recent statement regarding the Nagaland Chief Minister, TR Zeliang’s education issue.
A press note from the President of the NPF Peren, Haigam Kauring said: “We are at a loss as to how the Chief Minister has belittled the people of Peren.” “Or does the Working President of the Congress party, a non-entity here in the district who might not even know where the district is, think that we the constituents and people of the district of Peren are so naïve as to think the rare opportunity of having our representative as the Chief Minister of the State is belittling?” it asked.
“As far as we are concerned, we the people of Peren District do not need a highly qualified person such as an IAS, and IPS, and Engineer or a Doctor to represent us. We select our own and of our own choice, and we have found that a simple person like TR Zeliang is best suited to represent us since he, like most of us, is from a humble background and knows the problems we common people face and the solutions we need,” the NPF Peren Unit said.
Affirming the unit’s support towards the leadership of TR Zeliang in the years to come, it stated that it is up to the Congress party of Peren District to “search for a leader who is highly qualified in the arts, sciences, medicines or engineering.”
“We are happy with the leadership of TR Zeliang. And we are fed up with the educational qualification issue. After all, what has qualifications got to do with service to the people? What is qualification in politics? Does anyone need to qualify to enter politics? Is politics anything like NPSC or UPSC where one needs certain degrees to qualify participation? We the grassroots level party workers do not bother about our leader’s qualification; we are contented that his leadership qualities have been recognised at the State level when he was made the Chief Minister, and at the international level when he was given a prestigious International Award at Bali, Indonesia,” it further stated.
The NPF Peren Unit reminded that while TR Zeliang was filing his nomination papers in 2013, and at the time of scrutiny, the Congress “were given all the papers and asked if they have any objection or have clarification to make.”
“However, they declared before the Returning Officer that they have no objection. But after facing defeat in the polls, and after three years have lapsed, how is it that the allegation and objection is being raised now on the nomination papers of the Chief Minister?” it questioned. “Let the law take its course. Why so impatient? And why this trial by media?” it questioned.
The NPF Peren Unit further claimed that “we do have some people from the district who are professionals in filing RTIs and filing petitions in the courts for material returns.”
“...these individuals have not done any good to the district or the people,” it said, while however stating that “they are at a liberty to go file cases and make fools of themselves.”
