Dimapur, July 23 (MExN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) charged the Government of Nagaland (GoN) of resorting to profiling its employees and said that it "escapes all rationale."
“It escapes all rationale that the GON is resorting to profiling its employees for which the NSF, representing the voice and aspiration of the Naga youths and students, cannot allow for the same to happen under our watch,” the NSF said in a statement.
The statement, issued by NSF President Ninoto Awomi and General SecretaryLiremo R Kikon, came in reaction to GoN’s July 7 office memorandum directing “all head of departments to obtain information from government servants regarding family members and relatives in underground organisations.”
Terming the exercise as “malicious,” the NSF also denounced the usage of the term "underground" to refer to Naga national workers by the GoN.
Reminding the GoN that the unique history and situation of the Naga people have been officially recognised by the Government of India, the Federation stated that it is unbecoming that the impugned office memo refers to the torchbearers of the internationally “recognised movement in a manner which undermines the mutual respect and understanding reached between the Naga political groups and the GOI.”
The NSF further noted that it is confounded by the timing of the directive issued by the GON as it was made to “understand by the parties to the negotiation that a solution to the protracted Indo-Naga political issue is at the final stage.”
“The subjected memo is only adding fuel to the murmurs doing round that the GOI is not serious about finding a solution that is inclusive, honourable and acceptable to the Naga people by thrusting its might upon the Naga negotiators,” it added.
In this connection, the Federation appealed the GoN to review directive and ensure that the same is not implemented “as it is against the interest of the Naga people who had voted them to power.”
“Instead, the GON, should in all sincerity, focus on finding a permanent solution to the protracted Indo-Naga political issue by taking on board all the stakeholders.”
It further asserted that Federation would be “compelled to take up all forms of democratic agitations, should the GON decide against rescinding the ill-conceived directive.”
Meanwhile, the NSF said that it has taken a “serious note of the unpopular approach of RN Ravi while dealing with the Naga people in his dual role as the GOI appointed Interlocutor as well as the Constitutional Head of the state of Nagaland.” Accordingly, it urged the interlocutor’s office to “delve seriously into the task assigned to him and ensure that a negotiated final settlement to the protracted Naga political issue is brought about without further delay.”
