Nagaland chief minister, Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu on Monday accused his Manipur counterpart, O. Ibobi Singh, of inciting communal tensions in Manipur, “so that the valley people back him during elections.”
“He is more communal than his political party,” alleged Dr. Liezietsu while speaking at the launching of the NPF election rally at Senapati Monday morning, CMO medial cell stated.
Dr. Liezietsu in this regard called upon the Meiteis not to fall prey to Ibobi’s designs and also urged upon “scholars and intellectuals to come out and speak the truth.” If the truth is spoken, peace and harmony will come to the land, he said.
Dr. Liezietsu reminded that Meiteis and the hill tribes of Manipur had been maintaining good neighbourly relations since time immemorial and would continue to do so even in the future. Noting that the Meiteis and the hill tribes of Manipur had no other homeland except the ones they presently occupy, Dr. Liezietsu said they have no option but to remain neighbours for generations to come.
“As long as this planet exists, we shall remain neighbours and so we should learn how to live in peace and harmony as good neighbours,” he said.
While acknowledging that Meiteis were more advanced people in all spheres of life, he said “we expect them to play the role of the elder brother by initiating measures to ensure continuity of living together as good neighbours.”
Elaborating on the aims and objectives of the NPF, the chief minister, who is also the NPF president, said the primary aim of NPF was to bring the hill tribes together to a single platform.
Asserting that NPF was for the hill tribes and not only for the Nagas, the chief minister hoped that in due course of time Meiteis too would join the NPF, like the ones who joined the party from Kangpokpi area.
Lauding the past legislators from the hill districts for all good works they had carried out, Dr. Liezietsu, however, rued that when they (tribals) go to the Assembly, “they become strangers to each other and failed to take up common issues.” “It is for this reason that the NPF hopes to provide a single platform to all the legislators from the hill districts so that they can speak in one voice and one mind in the Assembly,” he said.
On Naga political issue, Dr. Liezietsu said “any problem that is to be solved peacefully through dialogue should not be construed as going against any community,” and assured that his party stood by its motto Fide Non Armis (By Faith, Not by Arms). He told the gathering that, even as some NPF leaders had sacrificed their applications for NPF tickets, they have now come out to support those who had got the tickets.
Zeliang takes on Ibobi
DAN chairman and advisor finance, T.R. Zeliang also took a dig at Ibobi, alleging that the ongoing blockade in Manipur was his handiwork. “To lift the blockade or to let it continue depends on him alone,” Zeliang said.
When BJP leaders Ram Madhav and Himanta Sarma Biswa met Nagaland chief minister on Sunday at Kohima, Zeliang said they (CM and him) were asked whether they could speak to the UNC to lift the blockade. Rather, it was made known to them that the “blockade was Ibobi’s creation and it depends on him whether it could be lifted or not,” he said.
“Dividing the people on communal lines and appealing to a section of the people for political gains is not advisable,” Zeliang said.
Lamenting that the Naga political issue was yet to be resolved, Zeliang said there were “some political elements who do not want the problem to be solved because they think that once the Naga problem is solved, their political careers would come to an end.”
Also speaking at the rally was Nagaland minister and NPF Manipur in-charge, Yitachu who made clarion call to the hills people to elect NPF candidates in the forthcoming general elections so that the MLAs would be able protect their people.
“Only NPF party can fulfil the aspirations of the people of the Hills districts and electing the NPF candidates can fulfil your aspirations of fully implementing the provisions of the Constitution of India as contained in Article 371 C,” he said.