Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 12
A team of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee after meeting Central leaders of the present UPA government disclosed that New Delhi was having a ‘positive’ frame of mind on the Naga political issue with the NPCC President Sungit Jamir even disclosing to the Morung Express that the Government of India under the Congress led UPA “they are ready to settle the matter”.
The NPCC team met AICC president Sonia Gandhi, and the big four at the Centre – the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Defence Minister and the Finance Minister. Speculations doing the rounds, of the NPCC again taking up the matter of I. Imkong’s status in the party with the AICC, the NPCC however, maintained that that particular issue was not at the core of the visit.
NPCC president, SI Jamir when contacted Thursday evening said the team met the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Finance Minister and the Defense Minister. The visit was with regard to the ongoing peace talks between the Centre and the NSCN-IM, he said. “More important was the political talks… all of them are in a positive frame of mind. Infact they are ready to settle the matter,” said Jamir of the meetings with the PM and the union ministers. Declining to delve on the details of the meeting, Jamir added that the NPCC will come out with a public statement on the Delhi trip.
That aside, I. Imkong’s position in the party featured in the team’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi and the Central Disciplinary Action Committee. “We’ve urged the party high command to give a decision at the earliest,” said Jamir. Asked if Imkong is still a member of the Congress, Jamir replied, “That you’ve to ask I. Imkong.” The NPCC however is yet to update its website. Its home page still has I. Imkong mentioned as the president of the state Congress.
CLP leader Tokheho Yepthomi said that the AICC on February 28, 2011 had asked Imkong to tender a written apology on the latter’s alleged anti-party activities dating back to the NPCC’s organizational election in 2011. Yepthomi stated that Imkong did not acknowledge the high command’s decision rather choosing to refuse.
The NPCC team comprised of members from the NPCC’s political affairs committee - led by NPCC president SI Jamir, CLP leader Tokheho Yepthomi, sitting MLAs – Sentichuba, KV Pusa and Joshua Sumi; K. Therie, IK Sema and vice president Nillo Rengma returned from New Delhi on Thursday, April 12 after a two-week long visit. The team had made the trip on March 29.
Meanwhile in a separate press note from the NPCC President, they raised concerns about the deteriorating law and order in Nagaland. The NPCC leaders also apprised Central leaders of various issues confronting the people of Nagaland in general and the Congress party in particular.
“The NPCC delegation had raised the deteriorating law and order situation in the State especially, the escalation of factional clashes and anti-social and anti-national activities that has reached its zenith. The GoI has taken serious note of the situation and assured the team of appropriate action in the interest of the people in general,” the Congress said.
Further, the NPCC apprised the Central Disciplinary Action Committee on the issue concerning former NPCC president I Imkong’s expulsion by the NPCC.
“The DAC was emphatically told that, since Shri. I. Imkong had refused to admit his mistake and failed to tender written apology, the NPCC delegate requested the Central DAC to deliver its verdict at the earliest for the larger interest of the party to which the DAC had responded positively,” the NPCC informed.
