Dimapur, February 3 (MExN): Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Neiphiu Rio today expressed shock at NPF Youth Wing accusing him of being the mastermind behind the current chaos in Nagaland and termed the allegation “totally false”.
“It is ridiculous to blame somebody else for their own blunders. There is no doubt in the minds of the people that the State Government and NPF leadership is completely responsible for the total breakdown of law and order and their attempt to pass the buck holds no water,” Rio stated in a press statement.
Noting that the need of the hour was for the Government to take the people into confidence, he accused the government of failing to do. “The NPF leadership should not talk about the people’s mandate as every right thinking citizen of the State knows whose mandate this Government is enjoying,” he added.
“By blaming me or anybody else for the chaos which they have created, the NPF leadership is undermining the wisdom of the civil societies and tribal hohos. This is a mass people’s movement and it is based on the clarion call of the traditional institutions and to say that Rio is responsible is completely untrue and exposes the mindset of the NPF leadership.”
Rio recounted that in 2012, when he was Chief Minister, the tribal hohos, civil societies and mass based organisations had vehemently opposed the conduct of ULB elections in Nagaland on the pretext that doing so would infringe upon Article 371 (A) of the Constitution. “Heeding to the call of the people, the Nagaland Assembly instituted a Select Committee of which TR Zeliang was the Chairman and Dr. Shurhozelie was a member amongst other members. This committee recommended to the Assembly to move a resolution not to conduct ULB elections as it would infringe upon Article 371 (A). Accordingly the Nagaland Assembly passed a unanimous resolution, supported by even the opposition, rejecting conduct of the elections and implementation of reservations for women,” he said.
After Rio’s departure, according to the statement, the State Government made its intention clear that it would conduct ULB elections which was opposed by the civil societies, traditional institutions and tribal hohos. “The hohos made appeals and even issued ultimatums to the State Government. On the eve of the assembly session too, the hohos had issued ultimatum and warning to the government, but it apparently fell on deaf ears and a resolution was passed in the assembly revoking the 22nd September, 2012 resolution against the wishes of the people and passed a resolution accepting Part IXA of the Constitution for 33 percent reservation on 24th November, 2016.” Even after the resolution was passed, different sections of Naga society voiced their resentment and appealed to the government to do a rethink. However, it said, the State Government issued notifications to conduct the elections to which the masses responded with peaceful protests and agitations. “The State Government instead of initiating dialogue and understanding by taking the people into confidence decided to undertake the path of confrontation and antagonized all the sections.”
It further reminded that the civil societies welcomed the mediation of the Church and signed an agreement with the State government to withdraw the agitation with the State government assuring that it would postpone the ULB elections, “but to everyone’s surprise the Government went back on its word and once again betrayed the commitment, including the Church.” This, he said, resulted in final provocation of the people causing deaths of two persons and injury to dozens in police firing.
Stating that he has regard for the rank and file of the NPF, especially the youth, as they all belong to the same party, Rio asserted he does not believe that “the committed cadre of the party will issue such a press statement blaming me and even the civil societies and hohos for the crisis. Rather it is the NPF leadership which has misled the party to make such utterances.”
He also clarified that this statement was not issued against anybody, but it is aimed at bringing out the factual position of the decision taken during his tenure as Chief Minister “when we passed a resolution to protect Article 371(A) by listening to the voice of the people, whereas the present government had revoked the Assembly resolution of 22nd September, 2012 and passed a resolution on 24th November, 2016 against the wishes of the people which has resulted in bloodshed and loss of precious lives.”
