Our Correspondent
Senapati | April 21
Nagaland’s Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang on Saturday maintained that “Congress leadership had done a lot of damage for the Nagas living in Nagaland and Manipur” if one recollects the past party’s 10 years rule at the Centre and the States, particularly Assam and Manipur from 2004-2014.
Stating this during the campaign programme of Kachui Timothy Zimik, NPF/NDA candidate for the upcoming 18th Lok Sabha Election 2024 to II-Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency at Maram Bazar on April 20, he said that during 2006-07 under Congress regime, when Dr Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, a Mega Highway Project proposal called 4-lane East-West Highway from Guwahati to Moreh via Numaligarh-Dimapur-Kohima-Imphal was approved in principle by Ministry of Road Transport and Highway (MoRTH).
However, the said Highway project was diverted toward Silchar-Jiribam-Imphal at the behest of Assam Chief Ministers of Assam and Manipur, both under Congress rule, he maintained.
The Deputy Chief Minister also stated that the alignment for Railway Project from Dhansiri-Imphal via Jalukie and Karong (Senapati) was surveyed and approved and even the DPR was approved and budgeted in the Railway Budget and foundation Stone was laid by Nitish Kumar, the then Union Railway Minister.
“Unfortunately, the moment Congress came to power in 2004, this Mega Project was scrapped and diverted to Silchar-Jeribam-Tepul-Imphal railway line,” he said.
He claimed that such development had taken place at the behest of Tarun Gogoi, then Chief Minister of Assam and Ibobi Singh, then Chief Minister of Manipur in order to avoid Naga areas whereas the first option of Highway/Railway is shorter by more than 100 Kms and more viable if it passes through Nagaland and Senapati district in Manipur.
Zeliang informed the gathering that he had raised that issue in Parliament and questioned Railway Minister in 2006 “when I was MP of the Rajya Sabha, but it fell on deaf ears.” He added the Northern Frontier Railway Board Chairman had told him that the decision was taken politically from the highest level.
“Today my question to Congress leaders in Manipur is this- If Congress comes back to power at the Centre, can they restore back those projects which were diverted against the interest of the Nagas?,” he added.
While Congress leaders have claimed that they will resolve Indo-Naga Political Issue if the Party comes to power in recent times, Zeliang also called for ‘introspecting and retrospecting’ how the issue was handled by the Congress Government when in power at the Centre.
For instance, RS Pandey (2010-2013) under the Prime Ministership of Dr Singh resigned as Interlocutor because the Congress Government at the Centre turned down his comprehensive proposal which was prepared after extensive groundwork and submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), he asserted.
Pandey had the best interest for the Nagas in his proposal but the Congress leaders did not care to resolve the issue and only wanted to prolong the dialogue, he added.
“As I understand, Sh. R.S Pandey as an Interlocutor under the Congress regime was authorised to talk but not to resolve the Indo-Naga Political Issue,” he said, wondering whether the party has the political will to solve the issue.
In contrast, Zeliang maintained that after Narendra Modi came to power at the Centre, he came to Nagaland on November 30, 2014 and interacted with civil societies and after listening to the voice of the Naga people and the elected members.
‘He (Modi) was convinced and determined to resolve Naga political issue and in his presence, the Framework Agreement was signed between Government of India and NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015 followed by Agreed Position on November 17, 2017,’ he said.
“Had there been no political will power from the top, such political agreement could have never been signed,” he added.
