Dimapur, February 16 (MExN): The Nagaland state Congress today took one of its strongest stances in the recent times to call for dismissing the Naga People’s Front-led (NPF) Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), on charges of nexus with Naga underground groups and failing to secure public peace, law and order. The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) shot off a memorandum to the Governor of Nagaland demanding that the Neiphiu Rio-led DAN government be dismissed on grounds of anti-national activities, blatant corruption and misuse of power, among others.
“The NPCC takes it as its bounden constitutional duty to demand the dismissal of the DAN government for tacitly engaging in anti-national activities, blatant abuse of power leading to mass corruption and total failure of government machinery in the state, “ the NPCC’s representation to the governor stated. Among other contentions, the Congress strongly accused the NPF-led DAN government of nexus with the NSCN (IM) group and fomenting unrest and division in the North East Region. The representation was appended by NPCC president SI Jamir and vice presidents Nillo Rengma and Khutovi Sema.
“The NSCN (IM) and NPF leaders meeting in Niathu resort, Dimapur on January 4, 2012 nakedly exposed the deep-rooted nexus between the two and their common agenda to destabilize the nation by fomenting unrest in the north-east particularly Nagaland and Manipur,” the NPCC’s representation stated. “Their collective role in State and Parliamentary election had been well established in various Assembly and Parliamentary Constituencies.”
Further, the Congress reminded the Governor that the NPF-led state government had failed in maintaining public peace as reflected by the continuous factional violence between the NSCN (Khaplang) and the GPRN/NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) groups in Kohima, Zunheboto, Dimapur and Peren district since splitting in the latter part of 2011. The violence has been continuing unabated with the state government doing nothing to take preventive measures, the Congress party reminded.
Another issue the Congress raised was the two successive ‘bandhs’ imposed by the NSCN (IM) in January alone, one on January 26 which clamped a bandh on all Naga-inhabited areas.
These actions were “an indirect boycott of India’s Republic day,” the NPCC said. “The failure of the DAN government to organize public functions to observe the Republic Day celebrations in the four district headquarters was an outcome of the failure to fulfill the ENSF’s 5-point charter of demands in implementation of the SAA and RMSA in the state particularly in those four backward areas,” the NPCC said. “The situation compelled the government servants to carry out the constitutional duty in an insignificant manner without public participation.”
The opposition said that the DAN government neglected its constitutional obligation as elected representatives ‘deliberately stayed away from hosting the national flag in public functions.’ ‘Despite knowing the volatile situation,’ the NPCC explained, ‘the government neither resolved the issue nor took preemptive measures.’
Citing ‘prima facie’ evidence, including the ‘display’ of the Nagaland Chief Minister in the recent Manipur general elections, the Congress said that a constitutional state government funded by the Indian union “is working with anti-national elements to disintegrate it.”
“Under clause (b) of Arts 371 (A) the Governor of Nagaland has special powers and responsibility in matters of law and order. It is the duty of the governor of Nagaland to provide protection to life and property of the people. We therefore demand that the DAN government led by Chief Minister Shri Neiphiu Rio be dismissed immediately and install governance in Nagaland for which we shall ever pray as citizens duty bound.”
