Dimapur, February 5 (MExN): Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) has condemned the killing of Bendangnungsang Longkumer and Khriesavizo Metha on the night of January 31 in a police firing in Dimapur.
A press release from the Information and Publicity Wing of the Forum opined that the unfortunate situation could have been averted had the State government honored the agreement made between the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) and the government witnessed by NBCC on January 30 at Chumukedima to postpone the ULB elections. It maintained that the government “with its unholy act” has lost people’s good will and mandate to govern.
NPRAAF appealed to the Chief Minister TR Zeliang and his cabinet to immediately resign “without much waste of time weighting the gravity of the social unrest in the State rather than demanding more paramilitary forces from the Center to intimidate people’s movement or going signature drive with MLAs to hold on to chair disregarding people’s voice, after having lost its credibility.”
Stating that the situation has flared up beyond interpretation of Article 371A “as the people have lost faith in the Government,” NPRAAF further said the decision of the cabinet to meet the Prime Minister to exempt Nagaland from purview of part IX-A of the constitution of India is “hilariously foolish”.
The Government, it said, should call a special assembly session to again revoke the Nagaland Municipal Act “reiterating the 2012 resolution and further revoking the 2016 resolution.” The 60 legislators need not go to Prime Minister's door for exemption from the purview of part IX-A to “stultify” itself, it added.
Meanwhile, NPRAAF termed it wrong to impose ULB elections against people’s wish “though it views women’s reservation policy good and progressive.” Stating that the voice of the Nagas must be “paramount”, the Forum supported the civil societies’ “legitimate demands”.
Further, it stated, “NPF should not try to politicize and project the unprecedented situation in the State as power struggle between Chief Minister TR Zeliang and MP (Lok Sabha) Neiphiu Rio as the civil societies spontaneously opposed the ULB polls and the Lok Sabha MP has done nothing wrong coming back to Nagaland from Delhi in solidarity with the Nagas as the lone MP directly elected by the people.”
KTC condemns January 31 incident
Tuensang, February 5 (MExN): The Khiamniungan Tribal Council (KTC) has condemned the January 31 incident in Dimapur, where two youths – Bendangnungsang Longkumer and Khriesavizo Metha – were killed.
In solidarity with the rest of Naga tribes, the KTC paid homage to the “brave departed souls who have given their supreme sacrifice for the common cause of the Nagas.”
A press release from P Mongchuo, President and Puchai PM, General Secretary of KTC further expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
The KTC also termed the incident “highly uncalled for owing to the serious lacunae in the existing state government machinery.” It demanded that the State government should immediately bring justice and answer to the cry of the Nagas. The KTC held a meeting regarding the issue on February 4 at its HQ Noklak and unanimously resolved to stand with the rest of the Nagas though the election to the Noklak Town Council (NTC) was held as per the directions received from the State Election Commission (SEC). Further, KTC resolved that “it stands unquestionably clear in abiding with the general interest of the Nagas,” the release added.
