Morung Express News
October 19
DIMAPUR: The visit of Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes to Nagaland appears to have created confusion and also criticism from the ruling DAN alliance partners the NPF and BJP with both parties pointing out that the Union Minister’s itinerary had been completely stage-managed by the State Congress Party.
The Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF) taking serious cognizance of Union Minister of State, Oscar Fernandes’ visit to Nagaland yesterday, observed that his earlier visit to Bangkok for political discussions with Naga leaders last week had evoked high expectations that the Union Minister would meet cross sections of the Naga society and discern the minds of the Naga people to solve the long-drawn political problem. However, according to the NPF, the Union Minister did not ‘even bother’ to meet the Governor of Nagaland, the State Cabinet or the NGOs and Church leaders etc. which proved a disappointment likening it to a ‘cold attitude’ which it said was contrary to expectations of the people.
NPF President Dr Shurhozelie, in a press statement in this regard asserted that if the Ministerial Team for the Naga Peace Talks headed by Oscar Fernandes is not sincere and serious towards their respective assigned responsibilities, the Naga peace process would be at stake. Referring to the visit of Fernandes to Nagaland yesterday, the NPF President stated that the itinerary of the Union Minister was planned and worked out entirely by the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee and in it was included an official appointment with the Chief Minister of Nagaland and understood as to have been an event for serious political discussions. “But ironically it was more or less a courtesy call and no official discussions took place” lamented the NPF President.
Meanwhile, the state BJP in a separate statement toed the similar lines of grouse as the NPF’s. The State’s BJP President MC Konyak, and O Wozamo Ngullie, General Secretary, in the statement termed the visit of Fernandes as “totally unbecoming” which had “left behind a scar in the VVIP Officials Tour Records of Nagaland.” Citing many an instance of what the BJP implied as being suggestive of cold-shouldering the expectations of the Nagas from the Union minister’s visit, the statement regretted that his failure to honor various important protocols had completely ignored the important and basic responsibilities of the State Government.
Maintaining that Fernandes’ visit had aroused the suspicion of the people as to what the Congress party was devising, the State BJP maintained that the attitude of the Union Minister and the Congress (I) was not positive but an expression of their ignorance of their roles. Adding that the visit was “unfortunate” the statement cautioned that under such leaders the people would be the ultimate losers.
