NDPP said Union home minister Amit Shah reiterating at Aizwal on October 5 what he had declared at NEDA meeting on September 9 that the North-eastern States would be protected through provisions in the proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and that Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in force in the these States would be incorporated in CAB had vindicated PDA government’s stand that ILP and Article 371(A) would protect Nagaland
Reacting to NPF’s criticism of chief minister Neiphiu Rio, Lok Sabha member Tokheho Yepthomi and the PDA government over CAB, the ruling party said it was aware that Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland were protected by ILP and that it was because of such provisions that Shah had specifically referred to these States.
According to NDPP, the Union home minister had without a doubt declared that a provision would be included in CAB to protect the North-eastern States, particularly Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland, which was a much welcome decision.
The ruling party demanded that NPF should now explain to the people why it had time and again tried to mislead them that ILP under Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873 could not protect Nagas and Nagaland from the proposed CAB. It also asked what then chief minister TR Zeliang was doing when CAB was being formulated in Parliament in 2016.
NDPP alleged that the NPF-led government at that point of time did not utter a word against CAB, while today they it was trying to portray itself as champion of the people.
“Perhaps they were too scared of New Delhi and the NDA government cutting off their lifeline of funds. But today, after the BJP decided to sever ties with NPF because of the latter’s constant betrayals, the opposition party is behaving like sour grapes. These are answers that the people have the right to know,” the statement added.
NDPP warned that if ever a time came that the Centre decides to remove the special rights guaranteed to “us”, then NPF would be held solely responsible because if the Nagas keep insisting that these rights did not or could not protect them, then they stood the risk of losing these rights.
The party asked NPF to explain to Nagas as to why the blood, tears and sweat of “our pioneers” were being portrayed as insufficient to protect us. It demanded that the opposition party should also declare to the Nagas if it had any better alternative to protect the Nagas, instead of condemning the sacrifices of those visionary Naga leaders who led the fight for “our” rights in the past decades.
Pointing out the new provision to be added in the proposed CAB still did not say that it would not be applicable to Nagaland nor disallow people granted citizenship under the amended Citizenship Act of 1955 from entering/visiting the State with valid documents, NDPP explained that it was for this reason that the PDA government led by chief minister Neiphiu Rio had and would continue to hold the stand that Article 371(A) and BEFR 1873 will protect the State and its people of their rights, privileges and lands. And it was with this stand that the PDA government had decided to extend ILP to Dimapur district, the party added.
NDPP also accused NPF of conveniently forgetting its own promise made on June 14, 2018 of soliciting the support and opinion of Naga people on CAB, and then betraying the people by having boycotted the “all important” consultative meeting of all apex organisations and the State government on January 31 this year where the resolution to reject CAB was unanimously passed. Posterity would hold NPF accountable for not having appended its signature on the historic document endorsed by all people of the State through their respective tribal representatives, it warned.
Rather it was the PDA government that held deliberations and consultations with mass-based organisations and consulted the Naga people and collectively undertook steps and measures in the greater interest of the people, the statement claimed.
Pointing out how NPF legislators had walked out of Nagaland Legislative Assembly on February 25 this year while the Assembly resolution rejecting CAB and endorsing the resolution of January 31 adopted by all apex civil society organisations of the State was being moved for passing, the ruling party said it was also still fresh in people’s memories of how the opposition party had also boycotted the consultative meeting in Kohima on July 17 this year. As such, NPF had no contribution whatsoever in the fight against CAB, implementation of ILP in Dimapur district, it stressed.
The moment they boycotted the consultative meetings and walked out from the Assembly without adopting resolutions to oppose CAB, they failed to protect the people who voted for them, the statement mentioned. It added that no matter what it said or tried to do, NPF would not be able to mask it double standards of putting party politics before the welfare and well-being of the entire Naga family.
NDPP also suggested NPF to reflect back on its past mistakes and utterances instead of constantly attacking the Rio and his government only to land with ink on its faces.
As a responsible opposition party, it was its duty to highlight matters of public importance. But it was unbecoming of any political party to keep attacking the government of the day at its whims and fancy on issues that had already been exhaustively discussed and actions put into motion.
The ruling party further claimed that it was Rio who had conveyed the State’s concerns to the Union home minister not only during meetings in New Delhi, but also during deliberations in Guwahati during NEC and NEDA meets, after which the Centre had assured that the concerns of the North-eastern region would be addressed.
“NPF and its leadership in its desperation and failure to act as a responsible opposition seems to have no other strategy but to make personalised attacks and continue its habitual agenda of spreading lies, which has completely failed to cut ice with the masses,” the ruling party added.
At a time when the entire Naga society was tirelessly working for achieving an honourable political solution to the vexed Indo-Naga political issue, NDPP said it was shocking to observe that NPF suddenly decided to rake up an issue on which it had miserably failed the people and dwell into its politics of trying to mislead the public with lies.
The NDPP-led PDA also assured the people of the State that it was its aim to safeguard all provisions of Article 371(A) and BEFR 1873 vis-à-vis ILP and to protect the rights and privileges of each and every citizen of Nagaland. It assured the people that it did not follow a policy of rhetoric and false promises, but followed its motto of “Facta non Verba” (Deeds not words) and worked under its slogan of “Development for all. Together with all”.