Alleges role of facilitator assigned by NSCN (I-M)
Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has urged upon the governor to immediately dismiss the UDA government in Nagaland since it has been playing the role as ‘facilitator’ to the Naga peace process as assigned to it by the NSCN (I-M) in violation of the constitution of India.
Addressing the mediaat Congress Bhavan here on Wednesday, NPCC president K Therie explained his stand that the legislators have been acting the role as ‘facilitator’ for the past 17 years as assigned by NSCN (I-M).
He asserted that the UDA government was no longer a people’s government, but acting under the directive of NSCN (I-M) and playing the role of facilitator.
To chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s statement wherein he purportedly said that “as a facilitator I have nothing to say”; Therie opined that if Rio represented NSCN(I-M) and not the Naga people then he should be dismissed.
Referring to NSCN (I-M)’s accusing legislators of “overstepping their role as facilitator” and going beyond their assigned role in making bewildering statements on Naga solution, Therie remarked that though the chief minister was expected to deny this accusation, he had not done so far.
He said the NSCN (I-M)’s accusation was an admission that the group was running the State gov-ernment and instead, continued to fund the group through cuts from development funds and al-lowing extortion deliberately on all items, systematically impacting price hike.
He said legislators were together (under UDA) for survival and this was the reason legislators had no concrete agenda for solution since the last 25 years but that their sole intent was to survive together without settlement.
Therie also pointed out that ‘summons’ by the group was most feared by people and so they take all their disputes to NSCN (I-M) courts as the administration had long collapsed. He said all these were in total violation of the oath of allegiance to the Constitution of India as established by law, to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India. Therie reiterated that whatever was “give-able by the Centre and what was acceptable to the people were known” and therefore, in order to deliberately cause delay, statements were made for one solution.
He alleged that Rio was still unable to grasp the situation despite the lapse of 25 years of negotiation, which proved that he was not fit to lead, adding “I don’t consider Rio to be an intelligent per-son”.
Therie in sarcasm, said the State government should have said that the two agreements – Frame-work Agreement and Agreed Position – be implemented immediately and assure they will pave the way as soon as both were implemented.
On the demand of NSCN (I-M) for separate flag and constitution, Therie claimed that the group had an “inner understanding” with the Centre and therefore there was no reason why the group would back out from the negotiations.
He said backing out after signing the Framework Agreement and later talking about the flag and constitution without sovereignty held no water as Nagas were not fools.
Asked whether the final solution would be like the 16-Point Agreement or 9-Point Agreement, Therie pointed out that while the 16-Point Agreement was reached within a year; the 9-Point Agreement was reached within a month. However, he said no one was able to give a concrete suggestion of what “we want” even after 25 years of negotiations have passed.
On whether the Naga issue would drag on as had happened despite signing of the 16-Point Agreement, Therie replied that now people were different and will not shelter anybody.
Recalling that NNC and FGN fought without extorting, torturing, intimidating people but stood for the people, he said today Nagas were under threat and extortion by “our own people” and so they do not want such a struggle to remain any longer.
He insisted that people should have the freedom to decide their own fate and others should not decide as Nagas would not involve in matters of others.
With regard to the involvement of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with UDA government for Naga solution, Therie said Nagas respect all neighbouring States, but the latter too should not involve in Naga political issue as there was no need for the issue to be taken to another State.
He declared that the ground reality of political solution was about Nagaland since stakeholders have accepted that sovereignty and integration have been ruled out by the Centre.
He claimed that the Centre was trying to appoint a new governor and that his party might wait for the next incumbent to before submitting a representation.