‘Meeting with Neiphiu Rio held to deliberate on ongoing Naga issue’

New Delhi, June 7 (MExN): Apropos the press rejoinder headlined ‘NPF Youth Wing on Rio’s interactive meeting’, which was published on June 7, AC Kharingpam has clarified that the meeting on June 3 in New Delhi was called by likeminded individuals to discuss and deliberate on the ongoing Naga issue and various concerns in relation to the position held by Neiphiu Rio.   “It is pertinent to note that the meeting was organized in an open minded manner to highlight the concerns of all Naga citizens. Enough time was given to ask questions and clarify doubts. No one was stopped from speaking,” stated a rejoinder from AC Kharingpam, the convenor of the meeting.   Stating that NPF as a party was formed with the principle of upholding and safeguarding democratic culture in the Naga society, the rejoinder stated that “to question the very idea of 'discussing' issues which pertains to the future of all Nagas by resorting to misinformation and misrepresentation only denigrates the aspiration and objective for which the NPF steadfastly stood for.”   To question the locus standi of the gathering in discussing the validity and correctness of the suspension of the MP (Lok Sabha), Neiphiu Rio from the NPF party, the rejoinder added, “is a grievous revelation of a mindset that not only revels in reducing democratic ethos in its basest form, but it is also an undiluted exposure of a mind that is hell bent on stifling democratic ethos of open discussion.” It maintained that NPF as a party of the Nagas and for the Nagas cannot be reduced to a party of few people who define legitimacy through connections with leadership. Far from being an insular party that borders on exclusivity, the party must work to enlarge the democratic space by opening up voices from the grassroots and outside of the party, it added.

  Further, the convenor pointed out that reducing the role of the academics, intellectuals, media persons, bureaucrats, youths and social networkers to the four walls of their professional spare is “an ominous sign of a decaying mediocre mind. Such understanding of the roles of individual in the society can only be seen as a dangerous sign of intolerant ideology creeping into the national imagination.”   Meanwhile, it reiterated that the meeting on June 3 was organized with the spirit of bringing understanding between different stakeholders within and outside the NPF party. The discussions of the meeting were emphasized on carrying forward the idea of Naga national cause to the highest level through dialogue and reconciliation, it added.