Limalenden Longkumer
Mokokchung | July 6
Leader of Opposition I.Imkong while speaking to a mammoth gathering of Congress party workers and members at its one-day Mokokchung District Congress rally here today at the town hall exhorted that the party will come to power in the next general elections. He, however, said that the party workers in Mokokchung should ensure that all the ten assembly constituencies in the district are won by the party in the forthcoming state general election.
The Congress leader made it clear that the rally is not an ‘election campaign but a moment for retrospection, self analysis and assessment for the party.’ He also said that the Congress is for the people and invited the public’s opinion for their general welfare. He disclosed that several programs for the youths, villagers and women are in the pipeline, which woukd materialize if and when the party comes to power. With the Congress-led UPA government at the center, the party will ensure that a solution is brought about with regard to the protracted Indo-Naga political problem he also said. The DAN government on the other hand, ‘has miserably failed in this matter.’ He accused the DAN government for ‘cheating the people,’ recollecting that the DAN had promised but failed to solve the Indo-Naga problem within three months of its coming to power. “As a political party, we need to talk about political issues too,” he said, and added that the party’s manifesto committee is working on it, hinting that the Indo-Naga political issue is going to find a place in the party’s election manifesto.
Imkong also said that the UPA has a development oriented policy for the North Eastern States and that Rs.50,000 crores are being earmarked for road development alone. “The Congress party envisages a new concept of technology for road development,” the leader of opposition said, and assured that the party will bring a good amount of the money for road development to Nagaland and added that the people will ‘soon be talking about four-lane highway constructions’ in all the district headquarters and construction of tunnels and bridges.
With regard to the Indian Presidential election, Imkong said that even the DAN legislators support the UPA candidate, except for ‘two or three hardcore NPF leaders.’
He challenged the party workers and members to steadfastly abide by the party principles and policies and work together toward achieving their desired goal. The Congress leader also ruled out the question of any differences within the Congress leadership. He quoted former President of the USA JF Kennedy, “Ask not what the country can do for you, but ask what you can do for the country” and challenged every single party members to keep working for the party at all times, not questioning what the party do for him, but rather asking himself what he can do for the party.
The leader of opposition concluded by saying that the party has trust and faith in the people and that the party’s election campaign will kick off in the next three months. Other leaders who also spoke included MLA Nungsangyapang who dismissed DAN as ‘lukewarm in nature,’ MLA Takamasa who said that the Congress and the UPA stand for the empowerment of youths and women and their uplift, MLA Supongmeren who said that the DAN government is not for the people but only for those ‘few’ who voted for them, a party with internal differences wrecking them, and MLA C.Apok Jamir who called upon the party workers to be dedicated and principled, not wear two faces. Apok accused the DAN for confusing the Nagas by their policy of equi-closeness. P. Ayang Aonok, Vice President NPCC and in-charge of Mokokchung district, Sentichuba, ex-minister, and veteran congress leader B. Satem Jamir also delivered their short speeches. The program was chaired by I.Nungkum Jamir, President, Mokokchung DCC and vote of thanks pronounced by the DCC vice president Imtimeren.
Morung Express News
