Dimapur, January 19 (MExN): Chief Minister of Nagaland assures that the Naga People’s Front (NPF) stands for Nagas wherever they are. Many people and ‘agencies’ do not want Nagas ‘to survive’ and so they continue to suppress them, the chief minister said addressing election rallies at Tamenglong and Noney in Manipur state.
The Nagaland CM said that the Naga people have their own identities and history. “We have suffered for too long and it is time for Nagas to come together as a family because “we are one people and we have one future,” he said.
On the various hindrances that came in the way of the NPF from contesting in the Manipur elections, the chief minister said the Manipur assembly had even gone to the extent of debating to stop the NPF from entering the fray. ‘The NPF as a recognized and registered political party by the Election Commission of India has the constitutional right to contest elections anywhere in the country. We have every right to contest elections in Manipur”, he said.
He regretted that although the hill districts of Manipur comprised 89 percent of the geographical areas of Manipur, there were only 20 MLAs from the hills in the Manipur assembly with the valley which comprises of just 11 percent area but has 40 seats in the assembly. In the area of fund distribution and development, he said, statistics were on the opposite as more than 80 percent of development funds are consumed by ‘the valley.’
Rio urged the people to abstain ‘from being tempted by materials and money’ and rather vote for the NPF ‘with their conscience.’
“We are a poor regional party with no resources...but the support of the people is our real strength”, the chief minister stated. Nagaland Minister for Planning & Coordination and Veterinary & Animal Husbandry TR Zeliang also addressed the rallies. He said the NPF would always stand up for the rights of the Nagas. If elected, NPF MLAs would speak for the rights of the Nagas on the floor of Manipur assembly.
Zeliang regretted that earlier Naga leaders could not express the feelings of the Nagas as they belonged to the ‘wrong political parties’ and could not speak against their policies and programmes.
“Other MLAs from other parties would be expelled from their respective parties if they speak up for the Naga people”, he said, while appealing to the Naga electorate to unite and vote for the NPF candidates.
The NPF is fielding 12 political candidates in the hill districts of Manipur, in areas that are predominantly Naga populations. The chief minister of Nagaland was accompanied by Nagaland Agriculture Minister Dr. Chumben Murry and a host of senior central NPF leaders.
