
Chizoko Vero
Kohima | November 18
Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu has been re-elected president of the Nagaland People’s Front while Apong Pongener and Kewezu G Kenye are instated as working president and secretary general respectively.
The new team of office bearers, also comprising of general secretaries, vice presidents, secretaries and others was also announced during today’s NPF general convention held here at the India Gandhi Stadium.
In his acceptance speech, Dr. Liezietsu said the new team will retrospect ‘with seriousness’ to ‘correct the failures’ and to adopt newer approaches ‘to move forward’. “Towards solution to the political problem, we have committed to strive for its solution by playing the role of a mediator”, said Dr. Liezietsu in his presidential address. He said the party has committed itself to supporting all disseminative moves towards peace.
“As we have been repeating from time to time, solution to the Indo-Naga political problem depends on the wisdom of the underground groups to have one voice. Therefore, we continue to appeal to their good sense to respect the wishes of the Naga people who want peace desperately,” he said. The party fully supports the various activities being undertaken at the moment including consultative meetings and soccer matches organized by civil society for reconciliation.
Hoping that good sense will prevail, he congratulated the members of the DAN Political Affairs Committee who have been striving hard to bring about better understanding amongst the various sections of the people. Stating that the NPF is a party that protects the rights, preserves identity and represents the personality of the Nagas, Dr. Liezietsu thanked the alliance for their whole-hearted support to these ‘principles’.
“Because of like-minded people coming together, DAN coalition government proved to be very successful. God willing, this will continue for many more years to come,” he said. Highlighting the various achievements under the DAN government, he said “With all these achievements in the past, we are now in a better position to promise for more achievements in the years to come. No promise of any future has weight unless your past is good. But because our past is good, people have now put their trust on us.”
He also said the economy of the people during the DAN’s time has ‘improved’ and with the ‘improvement of circulation of money’ in the state, many people are now in a position to ‘afford comfortable lives’. “As a party, we will continue to extend full support to the DAN government to deliver more goods to the people in future,” Dr. Shurhozelie added.
In his address, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said the top agenda of the NPF is early solution to the decades’ old Indo-Naga political problem. “Our commitment and role as active facilitator in the ongoing peace process and political dialogue remains steadfast. Our declared stand of paving way, in the event of an alternative solution that is honourable and acceptable to the people, still stands,” Rio said.
The chief minister also said the NPF has committed not to stand in the way of peace “but rather we will leave no stone unturned to make way for lasting peace.” Welcoming and extending the party’s and DAN government’s support to the Forum for Naga Reconciliation and the Political Affairs Committee, working to forge understanding and oneness among all sections of Nagas, Rio said “The efforts to achieving understanding and oneness are a collective responsibility and we appeal to all sections of the Naga society to come forward with initiatives and contributions.”
“Nagas must realize that we can no longer be hurdles to our own growth and progress. A section that is not part of the solution, cannot deny that they are part of the problem,” said the chief minister. Referring to the running of the state government, he said the DAN has been a ‘hallmark of peace’, development, growth and progress. ‘People have appreciated the fact that we have framed policies with long-term goals and visionary plans’ he said.
Empowerment of youth, uplift of agriculture and allied sectors, creation of employment, building of asset-oriented infrastructure, improvement of connectivity, promotion of sports, music and culture and industrialization of the state have been some of the many thrust-areas of the government’s policies and programmes for the past six years, said Rio. The results are there for all to see, he said.
Rio also said the government’s ‘good performance’ and ‘increasing popularity’ among the masses became ‘unbearable for the opposition’ and “they tried all means to topple our government but it was to no avail and finally the might of Delhi was undemocratically used to impose President’s Rule in Nagaland during the fag end of our tenure.”
He said the imposition of PR in January 2008 was a repetition of the decades of ‘suppressive nature’ that the Congress party has always imposed upon the Naga people. “The centre has never allowed a regional government to complete its term in Nagaland and even as there was just two months to go before the term of the assembly was to end, Delhi imposed PR much against the wishes of the Naga people,” said Rio. This decision was totally undemocratic and politically motivated, he maintained.
Rio also said that at a time when the Naga people are at the crossroads, “the onus is on us to rise to the occasion and make every possible effort to foster peace and brotherhood and thereby take our people towards a more progressive future where our dignity, honor and unique history are respected by one and all.”
As Nagas strive for lasting peace through political dialogue, Rio said, the NPF being the only functioning regional party in the state and being one of the oldest regional political party organizations in the region, “we must carry the desire of our people across all imaginary man made boundaries.”
Saying that there is much difference between national parties and regional parties, Rio said “For national parties, the most important aspect for the leaders and elected members is to keep the high command in good humor. So long as the high command is pleased with a particular leader, he or she will continue to occupy the chair, though the leader may not enjoy popular support. But for a regional party like us, the people are the real high command.”
The people are the strength and destiny, he said adding ‘it does not have any high command’ as “we are cadre-based dependent on the support of the grass-root level.” Also saying that the Lok Sabha elections are just round the corner, he called upon the party workers to work hard to overcome the challenge so that it repeat the landslide victory which it achieved so handsomely the last time.
Earlier, TN Mannen announced that the progressive group of the RJD has decided to support and merge with the NPF party. MP Khekiho Zhimomi, ministers P. Longon, M.C. Konyak, former minister Noke, former home minister Thenucho and T. Kikon also spoke at the occasion.