Dimapur, January 1 (MExN): Former Governor and Chief Minister, Dr SC Jamir has said that Nagaland is seeing a trend towards disintegration and that drastic changes need to be made in all departments of administration, including polity.
He said this in a statement issued on Wednesday, while expressing views on the purported creation of a ‘Frontier Nagaland Autonomous Council’ which was reported by various media publications.
Dr Jamir who is the lone surviving signatory of the 16-point Agreement of 1960 opined that the development is, “both historical and political reality which cannot be denied by anyone,” and that it is a “welcomed step provided it really serves the interests of the people of that area.”
According to him, there is a difference between the Regional Council appeared at no 10(3) of the Sixteen Points Agreement of 1960 andcreation of ‘Frontier Nagaland Autonomous Council.’
“Nagaland was formed by representatives of the then Naga Hills and TuensangFrontier Division of NEFA and to be a part and parcel of the Indian Union.All the deliberations on all issues and problems were according to democratic norms. Politically and constitutionally all are members of the same family. It was felt by the leaders of the Naga Peoples Convention at that point of time thatduring British administration in India Tuensang areas were unadministered,and thus a special provision be made to bring these areas through special arrangement, for development and in the art of governance and accordingly special provision was made for Tuensang district as indicated above,” Dr Jamir’s statement read.
However, Dr Jamir underscored in the statement that the demand for a separate state today, was “a result of neglect by the present government, and they were compelled to approach directly the Government of India for a separate state,and ultimately the present arrangement was made even without routing through the elected government.”
This, he said, speaks volumes about the status and image of the state under Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. “We are talking about autonomy of the Frontier Nagaland but what happened to the autonomy of Nagaland guaranteed under the Constitution? Who is at fault?” he further stated.
Dr Jamir went on to state that Nagaland of today is “a land of factions and groups, multiple authorities without any authority, and misgovernance and corruptions of the highest order.”
Stating that the present leadership has to answer for all the ‘mess,’ he said that a trend towards disintegration has set in, in the name of integration.
“Nagaland will no more be the same unless a drastic change is made in all departments of administration even including polity. Let us all wish all the best for the Frontier Nagaland Autonomous Council. But under the present political dispensation the future of Nagaland is bleak!” he added.
