Dimapur, February 11 (MExN): The Naga Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (NPUCL) today expressed dismay at the “lopsided reactions of some Naga organisations and Naga human rights body” over the prevailing “undesirable situation” of Nagaland state.
Stating that it is equally aghast at the attempt to “install mobocracy in the state,” NPUCL in a press note said that “issuing ultimatum to the state government and war cry to prepare for eventuality in case the head of the government failed to step down shows the lack of dialogue and shunning room for reasoning.”
In this regard, expressing sincerest love for “peace and yearning” to see normalcy in the state, NPUCL appealed to all the concerned Naga bodies and the state government to engage in a civil manner and resolve the prevailing crisis.
Further asserting that Nagaland crisis is “engineered and hatched” to tarnish the image of Chief Minister TR Zeliang, which escalated and went beyond their control with the demise of two "brothers" in the protest, NPUCL maintained that while “the loss is irreparable, the solution to the apprehensions of the Nagas lies not with the stepping down of Chief Minister, but with certain amendment and proper assembly procedural.”
“Nagaland should not be reduced to the state of lawlessness to suit certain vested interest, it is high time that solution is explored and arrived upon amicably.”
“What do the Nagas gain from this entire hullabaloo if TR Zeliang agreed to step down without changing the law that claims to be threatening the existence of the Nagas?” it asked.
“Have we not shifted to single agenda that TR Zeliang should step down and have we forgotten that the cabinet decisions which are reflected in policies and law of the state are not decided alone by the CM alone but collectively by his cabinet and assembly?” NPUCL further posed.
NPUCL maintained that the CM has been accused as the “source of all frictions, confrontations and the mess we are in now” but “we the public have also not contributed peacefully to resolve the issue but rather went on damaging spree attitude.”
“We have muddled the real issue; the issue is about Urban Local Bodies election with 33 % women reservation…The issue is about our ancestral land becoming taxable within certain clause of the Municipal act…”
Both the issues, NPUCL further argued have been looked into by the government by accepting to “postpone indefinitely” the ULBs election as per the demand and “review and change” the concern about taxation as “per the wish of the people.”
“The government is for the people, but people should not take the law in their own hands,” it said.
While being critical of the “people’s reaction and means deployed in demand for justice,” the NPUCL equally appealed to the state government to “shun brute and might while dealing with its citizens.”
