Kohima, May 16 (MExN): The Prime Minister of India has reportedly told Nagaland Congress leaders that the government of India is committed to finding an early solution to the Naga political problem but one that would come only with consensus from all the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies and the Opposition political parties as well.
Addressing a general meeting of the Pughoboto Assembly Congress Constituency Committee today at Pughoboto town hall some 50 km from Kohima, Leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Tokheho Yepthomi said the Congress is hopeful of an early solution to the protracted Naga political problem as the ruling UPA was committed to resolving it. However, he insisted that the ruling Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF) contribute to the ongoing peace process ‘rather than pay lip-service’.
Congress leaders from Nagaland who had met Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh and several top key policymakers in New Delhi said the Centre was committed to finding an early resolution of the issue, the CLP leader said. The problem, however, is that the United Progressive Alliance is a coalition government and needs consensus of all its allies, the Prime Minister reportedly told the Naga Congress leaders. The Centre had also told the Nagaland Congress leaders and other Naga leaders that solution to the Naga problem needed consensus of all political parties in the Parliament, including the oppositions, Tokheho stated.
Tokheho also regretted that the ruling NPF has ‘strained relationship’ with all major political parties at the Centre, including the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said Rio should not have ‘forced’ the BJP and NCP legislators to merge with NPF ‘if he was sincere and committed to facilitate the Naga peace process as used to claim.’ The BJP and NCP legislators were partners of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) and could have played a pivotal role to facilitate the peace process by convincing their respective party leaders at the centre, the CLP leader explained.
The Congress leader also flayed the Naga MPs for being inactive at the Centre; they have failed to project Naga issue at the platform, he said. Suggesting that the Congress has gone far ahead of the NPF in Naga political issue, Tokheho asked NPF to be more practical and contribute equally toward finding a solution to the Naga issue. He rebutted NPF’s promise of early solution to the Naga problem in March 2003 state general elections but which was never fulfilled till date making mockery of the issue.
Another congress lawmaker Joshua Sumi said the Congress, which was branded “anti-Naga” by certain people has to step in to facilitate the peace process. He said NPF had assured Nagas of solution at the earliest but has now entered 10 years in power. The solution has eluded the people and now the Congress has to step in to break the ice, Sumi said. He also said that the demand for a separate state by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization was due to ‘gross negligence’ of the backward areas by the ruling NPF.
The CLP leader also pulled up the NPF government for alleged rampant corruption and siphoning off public funds. He said corruption has reached its peak and that Naga society has been turned into haves and have-not by the current state government.
Centrally Sponsored Schemes such as the MGNREGS, SSA and RMSA have also been grossly misused, not forgetting the 6th pay commission. The CLP leader also disapproved the NPF government’s decision to involve Naga organisations and church leaders in the working system of the government. He asked organisations to know their own limitations and responsibilities. The Congress leader was reacting to Naga organisations being involved in the decision makings of the government like DPDB. He said there was clear demarcation of responsibilities of government and organisations.
