We appeal the Nagas in general and particularly Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland and Pangnyu Phom, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, should know every day and night that Nagaland would have never attained Statehood without the support of the Eastern Nagas in 1963. Moreover, it is to comprehensively know that Eastern Nagaland is one side of a coin without which Nagaland and the Chief Minister led State would never exist. The recent deportation of Tuensang people from Kohima who were equally flocking the wave of the remaining Naga returnees from other States, without undergoing the test in Kohima is the highest criminal act of Rio and Pangnyu Phom who infringed the COVID-19 protocol. Such discrimination and deportation is done only to the migrant workers or immigrants in the country elsewhere and the Eastern Nagas are not migrant workers or immigrants to be mercilessly and inhumanly sent off to Tuensang risking the common people back home, despite the knowledge of dangerous and negative repercussions when reaching their destination which is now declared with 5 positive COVID-19 cases. With no any further justification, apologies, regretful and so on, if any life of the Eastern Nagas loses due to the spread of COVID 19 positive cases, Rio and Pangnyu Phom should take the risk to the extent of any untoward consequences from the entire Eastern Nagas.
Since the political inception of Nagaland, Eastern Nagas had been tolerating on humanity ground of the unceasing discrimination and negligence. This continues throughout the Naga political leadership and it is inevitably repeated in the current Rio Government which includes his party MLAs from the Eastern Nagaland in such pandemic outbreak time. However, the amount of discrimination towards the returnees of the Eastern Nagas by sent off to Tuensang without processing the protocol of the COVID-19 is the heaviest discrimination and suppression in the history of the Naga people at this crucial pandemic. The negligence of Rio and Pangnyu Phom has reached the National and regional media (News Indian Express on 28th May 2020) and the state media (Nagaland Page on 27th May), 2020 stated “1tested positive from 169 returnees sent to Tuensang from Kohima” which termed as “Mismanagement and Criminal Negligence”. The similar criminal negligence was made by Rio and Pangnyu Phom when Raja Jain who was rejected and framed it to neighboring State Assam as positive tested in order to codify Nagaland as COVID-19 Free State. However, the spirit of Stateless Positive patient Mr. Raja Jain continues to haunt Nagaland and today on 30th May 2020, Nagaland had tested 36 Positive cases which will inevitably increase the number under the banner of Rio and Pangnyu Phom slogan “WE ARE WELL PREPARED”
Subsequently the media had clearly indicated the “poor planning” of Rio Government to handle the known awaited COVID-19 since the day India tested COVID-19 positive cases. It also mentioned that 169 returnees were sent off to Tuensang only after 3 days of quarantine in the State Capital. This had led to the beginning of testing one positive case among the returnees in Tuensang. The decision of KVC to send the returnees to respective districts perhaps was a good idea, not knowing the emergence of invincible doom situation respectively. Moreover, it coincidently seemingly resulted directly and indirectly favoring the Rio Government’s sent off of the returnees to Tuensang.
We believe that Eastern Nagas appreciate the people of Tuensang for rejecting the visit of Shri. Pangnyu Phom with supplying Marie Biscuit and water on his recent white washed visit to Tuensang to please the people, which ramification to his deserving experienced for the criminal negligence of COVID-19 protocol with ‘WE ARE PREPARED” Government. If the number of death increases from the COVID-19 case in the jurisdiction of Eastern Nagaland, especially in Tuensang District, Rio and Pangnyu phom must bear total responsibilities.
Justin Khatomong T,
Central Officer Bearers,
Naga People’s Front Eastern Nagaland
Dr. Lemwang Chuhwanglim,
Central Office Bearers, Naga People’s Front
Eastern Nagaland.
