Congress chief questions omission of Naga political issue in BJP’s manifesto

February 22, 2023 33 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 22

Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, on February 21, charged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ‘cheating’ the people of Nagaland and the country by failing to resolve the long-standing Naga political issue and questioned its omission in the BJP’s election manifesto.

Kharge claimed that the Modi government’s announcement of the “Framework Agreement” to resolve the Naga issue in 2015 has turned out to be an “empty boast,” as there has been no progress on the issue eight years down the line, despite setting deadlines even in 2019.

Addressing a pubic rally at Diphupar Village Ground on Monday, the Congress leader also pointed out that the BJP did not even mention the issue in its 41-page election manifesto, unlike the Congress party which has made it one of its top-most commitments.

While civil society groups, including the All Nagaland Gaon Burah Federation, have called for the implementation of political solutions, the present state government is allegedly engaging in delaying tactics by claiming that more talks are needed, he said.

Besides the political issue, he also highlighted various issues plaguing the state, including lack of development, corruption and scams, and neglect of Eastern Nagaland, criticising the NDPP-BJP alliance as well as the NPF of “looting” the state.

“For the last 20 years, NDPP, NPF and BJP together looted the state of Nagaland. It is high time now for the people of Nagaland to get the justice and a Government that actually works for the people,” Kharge asserted.

With regard to the development of Eastern Nagaland, Kharge flayed the BJP for pretending to care for the region and making empty promises, stating that it has become a ‘characteristic trait’ of the party.

The Congress party would take concrete steps to develop the region, including providing a mini-secretariat, a Directorate of School Education, and relocating the Department of Under Developed Areas to Tuensang, among others, he pledged.

Congress incorporated Art 371A
Kharge further pointed out that Nagaland became the first State to be accorded special status after the Congress government under Jawaharlal Nehru incorporated Article 371A in the Constitution of India.

“While Naga identity is your true pride, it is the same identity that the close friends of the NDPP, the BJP and its ideological mentor RSS have a problem with. They rather want to recast our indigenous people as Vanvasi. This recasting of Adivasis into a Vanvasi is integral to the ideological project of the BJP/RSS,” the Congress leader alleged.

According to him, the BJP is “hell-bent upon creating a divide within Nagaland and abrogating the provisions of Article 371A which will pave the way for the easy implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, which is the mainstay of the divisive agenda of the BJP.”

The BJP’s politics is aimed at destroying the indigenous and unique culture of Nagas. The people of Nagaland must stand against this attack on the culture of Nagaland and the politics of polarisation and hatred, Kharge cautioned.

Earlier in his address, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) President K Therie also shared similar concerns and said that the governments at the Centre and the state have no political will to implement the solution. The NPCC has committed to implement the agreed political solutions, he added.

According to him, Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in Mon town on Tuesday, that the grievance of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) is legitimate, was an admission that there has been lack of development under the BJP and NDPP government which has ruled the state for almost 20 years.

Further, he said that there is no need for a state which has a 95 percent Christian population, to vote for a party that is persecuting Christians across the country.

“If there is true democracy in Nagaland, then there is no reason for any one of the 23 Congress candidates in the state to be defeated,” he asserted.

Other speakers including Rajya Sabha MP and INC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik, AICC Incharge (Sikkim,Tripura,Nagaland) Dr Ajoy Kumar, spoke on the issues of corruption in the state while former Chief Minister KL Chishi stated that changing the government was the only way to “cleanse” Nagaland of its myriad problems.