Calls for NDA 3.0 to take decisive action in NE
DIMAPUR, JULY 5 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has issued a statement criticizing President Droupadi Murmu's recent address to both Houses of Parliament. The NPCC expressed astonishment at the President's vague and generic reference to "ushering in lasting peace in the Northeast," arguing that the statement reflects the government's lack of understanding and insensitivity towards the region's complex issues.
Khriedi Theunuo, the Working President of the NPCC said that "it shows that the Government of the day is either callous to the problems of the region or does not comprehend the complexities and peculiarities of the different Sister states."
The NPCC expressed outrage that the President's address failed to mention the severe ethnic violence in Manipur. "Manipur has been burning for more than a year now with ethnic differences spiraling out of control," Theunuo said. He criticized the government's apparent indifference, citing an instance where a Lok Sabha Member from Manipur, AB Akoijam, was interrupted by a Treasury Bench member during a parliamentary session. The interruption was justified by pointing out the nomination of sportsperson Mary Kom to the Rajya Sabha, a move Theunuo called "insensitive, cruel, and abominable."
The NPCC also criticized the ruling government's boastful references to their connections to the Northeast through the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). Theunuo argued that such statements might appear patriotic nationally but could deeply hurt local sentiments. "The Act is archaic and needs to be revisited to give it a humane face," he asserted.
The NPCC's statement also addressed the ongoing Naga political issue, which was notably absent from the President's speech. "The total silence in the President's address about solving the country's longest insurgency problem, that is the Naga political issue, speaks volumes about the concern that the NDA Government has for the Naga people," Theunuo said.
Theunuo recalled the Framework Agreement signed on August 3, 2015, between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM), which Prime Minister Modi had proudly announced as a solution to the Naga political problem. "In reality, the problem is far from being solved, and multiple factions of the Naga political groups have mushroomed over the years," Theunuo said. He further pointed out that despite the subsequent Agreed Position signed with the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups on November 17, 2017, the situation remains dire, with 24 factions continuing to exert illegal extortion pressures on the people.
The NPCC also criticized the effectiveness of the Ceasefire Monitoring mechanism, describing it as nominal. "The people, especially the business community, have had to take matters into their own hands, resorting to lightning closures of business establishments, causing immense hardship to the general populace," Theunuo explained.
The statement meanwhile referenced the 2019 deadline set by the then Governor of Nagaland and Centre's Interlocutor, RN Ravi, for negotiations towards a lasting peace accord. "So far, we are not aware of what the solution is or when it will come about," Theunuo lamented.
The NPCC urged the NDA Government to take decisive action to demonstrate its commitment to the Northeastern region and the Indian Union as a whole. "The NDA Government 3.0 may like to put its act together and show the Northeastern region as well as the country and the world that the region is very much part and parcel of the Indian Union and that the Union Government cares for all sections of the country irrespective of race or geographical location," Theunuo stated. He emphasized the need for the government to embrace the Northeast as one of its own.
