APPEALS ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO COME TO AMICABLE TERMS
Naga People’s Front (NPF) has said it was “constrained to reiterate” that the state government took the decision to hold the ULB election after “duly consulting the tribal Hohos”.
NPF media and press bureau said NPF-led DAN Government’s attempt was to keep Article 371A on the “safe side”. However, lamented that it was “unfortunate that the Government is blamed”.
NPF to buttress its claim said that the chief minister T.R. Zeliang and various organizations held “chain of consultative meetings prior to announcement of the ULB elections”.
It said the meetings were held on August 3, 2016 with Naga Hoho & ENPO; October 2, 2016 with ENPO; October 13, 2016 with NMA & JACWR; October 13, 2016 with president ENPO 7 office bearers; October 14, 2016 with Naga Hoho/APO/CPO; October 29, 2016 with ENPO (4 members); November 16, 2016 consultative meeting with Naga Hoho, ENPO and Tribal Hohos (Capital Convention); December 5, 2016 with 9 Tribal Hohos, Angami, Rengma, Pochury, Sangtam, Konyak, Phom, Zeliangrong, Chakesang, Khiamniungan; December 8, 2016 with ENPO officials; December 10, 2016 with Naga Hoho & ENPO; December 15, 2016 with Dr. Rosemary Dzuv?chü and Abeiu Meru, president NMA; December 17, 2016 with Naga & ENPO (attended by ministers & parliamentary secretaries (Dimapur residence); January 8, 2017 with APO, Angami Legislators, Kohima, district Dr. Sh?rhozelie, chairman, DAN & president NPF and K.G. Kenye, MP (RS) followed by meeting with advisor APO and January 16, 2017 with NMA & JACWR.
NPF said the chief minister invited leaders of the various tribal hohos and that all together 14 meetings were held, following which, the Government affected amendment of the Nagaland Municipal (third amendment) Act, 2016 and clarification concerning the word “Schedule Caste” and “Tax on land and buildings” on the confusion over holding the ULB elections as suggested/desired by the APO and Ao Senden in particular.
It said Naga Mothers Association, (NMA) on request of the state government withdrew the Special Leave Petition (SLP) from Supreme Court. However, NPF said it was “deeply saddened that confusion and extremism flamed unabated”.
Despite the ban by the Supreme Court against holding of any bandhs, NPF said the state government was maintaining “restrain for concern of the general public, with all effort to work towards building up a social and political order based on justice, peace and harmony”.
NPF said it “prayerfully appeal to all state holders to come to amicable terms for the sake of posterity, peace and tranquillity.”
NPF media and press bureau also pointed out that “for over 5 decades since inception that NPF has, with all devotion as a regional political party, been struggling and striving for the welfare and all round security of the Naga people, striving against all odds, bitter hardship and sacrifices by successive leaders, courting torture and imprisonment during different past periods is no matter of joke.”
It said the party has firmly held the responsibility of “protecting and preserving our identity through all weathers”. NPF said “it is tearfully painful that, despite this truism, today’s division amongst our society threatens to topple the Nagas society into the bottomless pit of degradation, shame, despair, helplessness and hopelessness.”
“Today, we are faced with so much of unresolved problems, intensified by misunderstandings that imbed any possible solution, or rather; our social problems appear to keep multiplying with every passing day” stated NPF media and press bureau.
It said that much has been deliberated and appeals made/disseminated through “all available systems to amicably settle the present imbroglio”.