NDPP-NPF merger a political theatre: NPCC

Taking a sharp swipe at the Naga People’s Front (NPF) for joining the Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA) government following the proposed merger of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) with the NPF to be formally announced on October 21, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) described the development as “yet another masterstroke in headline management by a band of ideologically bankrupt leaders.”
In a statement issued through its communication department, the NPCC said the only notable achievement of these leaders in the past twenty-three years was their “remarkable frequency” in switching political loyalties – even floating new political parties – all in an unending pursuit of power.
The NPCC said that with NPF’s formal entry into the PDA government, Nagaland once again faces the prospect of being governed by an opposition-less government. It termed the situation “unfortunate” and lamented that not a single legislator in the State possessed the “moral or ethical courage” to stand in opposition and represent the voice of the people.
Calling the development a “political theatre,” NPCC said it was being staged under the familiar pretext of “facilitating the peace process.” The Congress maintained that this was a time for accountability, not for “recycling rhetorical sloganeering.”
Reminding the people of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s earlier promise of delivering a “Naga Political Solution” within three months of assuming office twenty-three years ago, NPCC said the “grandiose assurances” had failed to materialize.
It added that the people of Nagaland could now see through the “smokescreen” of hollow promises and were living through the “devastating consequences of twenty-three years of incompetence, corruption, and failure.”
Asserting that the merger or leadership reshuffle would make little difference, the NPCC said that whether the government is led by the NDPP, NPF, or their merged form, the outcome would remain unchanged-“the continuation of a regime that epitomises systemic corruption and supports the divisive policies of the BJP both at the Centre and in the State.”
The Congress concluded that Nagaland needed a government rooted in accountability and integrity, not one that thrives on opportunism and manipulation in the name of political stability or the peace process.