Kohima: Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has slammed the state government for “conveniently” outsourcing policy-making decisions and governance issues to the 14 tribal hohos of the state.
The remark came a day after a consultative meeting was held between the state government and the tribal hohos.
The Nagaland Congress said that the meeting was “another sham exercise” by the state government led by chief minister Neiphiu Rio. “With NPF joining the government bandwagon to form Nagaland United Government (NUG) under the pretext of Naga political solution, the intensity of political gimmicks will increase while common people continue to suffer without any end in sight,” the party added.
It said that law making in the state has shifted from Nagaland Legislative Assembly to State Banquet Hall as all elected members have “abdicated their responsibility to focus only on raiding state exchequer.”
“NPCC therefore will not remain silent as the state govt and its chosen cronies continue their indulgence in fooling people without any hesitation,” it said.
With regard to the Dimapur-Peren boundary issue, the NPCC accused the government of throwing the ball into the court of 14 tribal hoho’s. “In the first place, the state government is fully responsible for allowing inter-village disputes on boundary demarcations to take the form of inter-tribe dispute by turning blind eye to various instigators perched on some CSO platforms. Rather than taking action against those instigators, the state government has washed off its hand and shifted the responsibility on the 14 tribal hohos, which will be counterproductive”, it said, further warning the government to recall this senseless decision.
So far as the issue of the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) is concerned, the Nagaland Congress accused the CM of “backtracking” saying that it is another sign of cowardice despite forming the opposition-less govt.
“He was the one responsible for coming up with the concept of RIIN, but is now parroting about his concern for other citizens of India, thereby diluting the very purpose of having RIIN,” said NPCC.
Nagaland Congress added that when the commission on RIIN has held exhaustive consultations with various tribe hohos, civil societies, pressure groups and other stakeholders before submitting its report to the government, seeking the opinion of the civil society organsiations or going for multiple round of consultations is “just a ploy to delay and thwart the implementation of RIIN”.
In this regard, the party condemned the state government for its “double standards” and demanded that RIIN be implemented with Dec 1, 1963 as the cut-off date without delay.
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Further, Nagaland Congress said that on the issue of women’s reservation and urban local body (ULB) polls, the discussions made without representation from any women bodies is a “big insult” to the women. “The violence and mayhem during ULB agitation in 2017 is still fresh in the minds of the people. Four years have passed, but the state government has so far failed to book those instigators and perpetrators of violence,” it said.
Nagaland Congress added that as long as the state remains a part of the Indian Union, “Constitutional obligations will have to be fulfilled and sourcing twisted opinions or interpretations on legal aspects of women reservation and its applicability in Nagaland vis-a-vis Article 371A will not address the discrimination and betrayal to our women”.
