DIMAPUR, NOV 14 (MExN): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has ridiculed the statement made by senior Minister and NPF President Dr Shurhozelie during the party’s Central Executive Committee meeting held on November 13 by telling him to get his facts straight. Pointing out that the basic responsibility and duty of any government is to provide safety and security to all citizens and that citizens’ are ensured by the Constitution the right to life and property, the NPCC in a press communiqué issued by President Hokheto Sumi dismissed the argument put forth by the NPF President on the present situation.
“Now, when the factions fire mortars and riddle houses of the innocent public with gun shots; when the people had to flee their homes for lack of security; when the normal lives of the people are affected because of the factional clashes; when people are terrorized and victimized by the activities of the factions; when people have to live in constant dread and fear; when the fear psychosis in the minds of the people becomes intolerable; and when they see no recourse from the government; when they find out that the government itself is helpless; when they realize that the government does not care a hoot for their safety and security; when they notice that the government is shirking from its legal, moral and Constitutional duty by saying that the factional killings and the terror spread by these killings are not a law and order problem, it shows that the people have a government they do not deserve. The people of Nagaland deserve a better, a more effective and concerned government”, the NPCC President stated.
Be it fratricide, genocide or what ever, the NPCC stated that a killing is a killing, and no law on earth condones any unlawful killing such as the ones prevailing in Nagaland under the DAN regime. “If the DAN Government thinks that the factions are “fighting” for political reasons and condones the large scale killings that are taking place, the government itself is party to the crimes and should be brought under the scrutiny of the laws of the land”, the statement charged.
The Congress stated that going by the logic put forth by the DAN government, it would seem that killings are legal if they are carried out for “political reasons”! “This is an alarming logic because it indicates that the DAN leaders themselves will not hesitate to kill anyone for political reasons”, it stated and questioned as to whether the DAN Government had stooped to such an all-time low as to give in to the factions to do what they want trespassing on the rights, nay, trampling on the people of Nagaland. “The people are better off without any government which condones killings in the State”.
Pointing out that the equi-closeness policy of the DAN Government has now come to such a pass that the Government considers the cadres of the groups not as brethren and citizens of the State, but as people whose lives are of no importance! “If given his way, Shürhozelie, the self-professed proud member of the first regional party in the whole Northeast, would re-write the Indian Penal Code to absolve “political” killings. Perhaps, he would like to translate the Sixth Commandment of God as, “Thou shalt not kill, unless it is for political reasons”, the NPCC stated.
Making it clear that the Congress did not differentiate between the factions, tribe or creed because as far as the Congress party is concerned, every human life is precious and sacred. “And it is the duty of the Government to ensure that no one is killed, be it for political, social or religious reason. We abhor violence and we appeal to every citizen to avoid the path of violence. We also appeal to all concerned to realize that we Nagas are a family and brethren should not kill each other”.
While reiterating that factional killings are very much a law and order problem, the NPCC stated that recognition of the problem as a political and national problem is not a license for anyone to kill. The NPCC also pointed out that at no point of time did it interpret that the Naga political problem is a law and order problem, as claimed by Shürhozelie. “As human beings, as concerned politicians and as Christians, we believe that killing is not only a law and order problem, but is a crime against humanity as well as Divinity”, it stated adding that the Naga political issue has to be solved between the Government of India and the Naga people across the negotiating table, and no amount of violence or killing between brethren will help solve the matter.
Comparing the response of the DAN government to factional fight as some poorly produced Hindi movie, the Congress ridiculed that the Government sends its men in uniform to areas of conflict after the tension has passed away. “It is misuse of power not sending the law-enforcing agency to the affected areas on flimsy excuses while the people lived in absolute terror. This amounts to willful negligence on the part of the Government and is criminal in the eyes of the law”.
On a more personal note, the NPCC President while responding to Shürhozelie also clarified that he had changed his political inclination from regional to national only once and have remained steadfast to his present party. “On the other hand, Shürhozelie might like to enlighten the people how many times he has changed the name of his political party before every Assembly election, and how on earth he could manage to get the Election Commission of India to freeze the “cock” symbol of his regional party”.
As for the allegation about the leader from Manipur in whom Shürhozelie has confided, the NPCC President remarked that “Shurhozelie seems to know that the leader is a Congressman and that knowing fully well about this, he does not seem to be too eager to name the person and reveal his proximity with Congress leaders in other States”.
