Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, MAY 18 (NPN): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nagaland’s Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya district two-days training programme for Dimapur and Peren districts commenced on Monday at Grand Maspel Hotel, Dimapur.
Addressing the programme, Minister of Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED), Jacob Zhimomi, stressed the importance of understanding the history and ideological foundation of the BJP. He said the programme was part of a national initiative aimed at sensitizing and enlightening party members and elected representatives across the country.
Zhimomi said the BJP had emerged as the world’s largest political party with a membership of 14 crore, surpassing the Chinese Communist Party’s 9.83 crore members. He noted that many elected representatives and party members in Nagaland had joined the BJP without fully understanding the party’s background and guiding principles.
Drawing a comparison between joining a political party and an arranged marriage, he said many people enter a political organization without knowing much about its history and gradually develop an understanding over time. He said the workshop was intended for everyone, from the Chief Minister to the newest party member, to help them understand the BJP’s national perspective and ideological roots.
Zhimomi emphasized that BJP’s most important principle is “Nation First,” which he described as non-negotiable and central to the party’s functioning. He also highlighted the principle of “Individual Last,” saying personal interests should always come after the interests of the nation and the party.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said positions within the party should be earned through dedication and hard work rather than obtained overnight. He urged party workers in Nagaland to follow the guiding principle of “Nation First, Party Second, Individual Last” while continuing to address local concerns.
Speaking on the history of the party, Zhimomi said the BJP originated as the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951 under leaders such as Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya, who laid the foundation for the “Nation First” ideology. He added that the vision of “Viksit Bharat” by 2047 aimed to transform India into a developed nation and economic superpower.
He further stated that despite Nagaland’s predominantly Christian population, the state remained committed to development and to securing benefits and facilities from the Central government. He also called on party workers to strengthen the BJP at the grassroots level and work collectively for the social and economic development of Nagaland and the country.
In his address, advisor H.Sethrongkyu Sangtam MLA emphasized that true strength of the organisation lies in there sincerity of its karyakartas who must serve the people selflessly and uphold the values of discipline and unity.
The programme was chaired by Dimapur district general secretary Yanpothung Humtsoe. Invocation prayer was proposed by secretary Dimapur District Km. Ilie Shohe, while the welcome address was delivered by president Dimapur District V. Shekishe Achumi. Short speech was also delivered by advisor for Information Technology & Communication, Economics & Statistics and Evaluation, H. Sethrongkyu Sangtam.
The programme also featured discussions on “Ideological Foundation: Integral Humanism, Cultural Nationalism and the Five Commitments,” “History and Evolution of the BJP,”“Facing the Nation: Political and Social,” “Working Methodology (Conduct of Karyakatas),” and “The Modi Government’s Pro-Poor Welfare Schemes and the Organization’s Role in Their Implementation,” followed by a practical session.