Dimapur, July 8 (MExN): In a new twist to debate between the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) and the Congress, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) today said it would participate only based on finding a “suggestive road-map” for solution to the Naga political issued. The NPCC’s media cell issued a response today, to the NPF working committee’s accepting the opposition’s challenge to a debate. However, the Congress decries the ruling party for ‘dragging’ in the church.
“The NPCC will participate only when it is convinced that the debate will be confined in presenting suggestive road-map of the two political parties for solution. The NPCC will certainly welcome such constructive debate if that will help resolve the Naga political problem,” the NPCC said. “The NPCC will certainly welcome such constructive debate if that will help resolve the Naga political problem.”
The reason the Congress explained was that the NPF accepted the challenge “to set the record straight and clarify many misconceptions on the role it has been playing as a facilitator.” Quoting the NPF’s statement, the Congress said the regionalists’ reason is “unacceptable.”
“The NPCC out-rightly rejects such myopic agenda. Why should the NPCC engage itself in such face-saving exercise of the NPF? If that is their objective, what is their problem in making a public statement in the print media? What better public platform do we have than the print media?” the Congress queried.
Calling the NPF’s purpose ‘nothing but an image-saving exercise, the NPCC said the ruling party’s having lost “their public face,”, now “have to do something to save it.” The NPF President concocted the concept of “open debate”, the Congress added.
What the NPCC explained was that it had thrown the challenge ‘for a healthy political debate because NPF was repeatedly avoiding the questions posed by the NPCC and keep on raising trivial issues.’ “The NPF had thrown volley of questions at NPCC to which, it had made public statements on those questions,” the media cell of the Congress said.
The NPF has been repeatedly criticizing the 16-point agreement while it continues to enjoy its fruit, the Congress reminded. “It still avoids in making a public statement as to whether its livid criticism of 16-point agreement reflects its outright rejection. The NPF has also cleverly avoided in making public statement on Shillong Accord. Without making public statement on these vital questions no meaningful open debate can be set into motion.”
The opposition said that a “fierce debate” on the past is not going to solve the protracted Naga problem. “The NPCC firmly believes in formulating and suggesting a progressive road-map to all the parties involved for solution. The NPF should not have the wrong notion that what its President had written and compiled will be accepted as the gospel truth,” the opposition said.
The NPF’s requesting the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) to “sponsor” the debate is also criticized as “unfortunate”. “The church being a neutral body, it would be most inappropriate to drag-in the Church into the debate of the political parties. Even if that be so unavoidable, it will be discriminatory to leave out other denominations just because they are smaller in number,” the NPCC stated.
“The NPCC will participate only when it is convinced that the debate will be confined in presenting suggestive road-map of the two political parties for solution. The NPCC will certainly welcome such constructive debate if that will help resolve the Naga political problem,” the NPCC said. “The NPCC will certainly welcome such constructive debate if that will help resolve the Naga political problem.”
The reason the Congress explained was that the NPF accepted the challenge “to set the record straight and clarify many misconceptions on the role it has been playing as a facilitator.” Quoting the NPF’s statement, the Congress said the regionalists’ reason is “unacceptable.”
“The NPCC out-rightly rejects such myopic agenda. Why should the NPCC engage itself in such face-saving exercise of the NPF? If that is their objective, what is their problem in making a public statement in the print media? What better public platform do we have than the print media?” the Congress queried.
Calling the NPF’s purpose ‘nothing but an image-saving exercise, the NPCC said the ruling party’s having lost “their public face,”, now “have to do something to save it.” The NPF President concocted the concept of “open debate”, the Congress added.
What the NPCC explained was that it had thrown the challenge ‘for a healthy political debate because NPF was repeatedly avoiding the questions posed by the NPCC and keep on raising trivial issues.’ “The NPF had thrown volley of questions at NPCC to which, it had made public statements on those questions,” the media cell of the Congress said.
The NPF has been repeatedly criticizing the 16-point agreement while it continues to enjoy its fruit, the Congress reminded. “It still avoids in making a public statement as to whether its livid criticism of 16-point agreement reflects its outright rejection. The NPF has also cleverly avoided in making public statement on Shillong Accord. Without making public statement on these vital questions no meaningful open debate can be set into motion.”
The opposition said that a “fierce debate” on the past is not going to solve the protracted Naga problem. “The NPCC firmly believes in formulating and suggesting a progressive road-map to all the parties involved for solution. The NPF should not have the wrong notion that what its President had written and compiled will be accepted as the gospel truth,” the opposition said.
The NPF’s requesting the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) to “sponsor” the debate is also criticized as “unfortunate”. “The church being a neutral body, it would be most inappropriate to drag-in the Church into the debate of the political parties. Even if that be so unavoidable, it will be discriminatory to leave out other denominations just because they are smaller in number,” the NPCC stated.
