By Oken Jeet Sandham
KOHIMA, Sept 4 (NEPS): As the political negotiations between the Naga underground leaders and the Government of India enters into a “decisive” phase, many political leaders have been closely monitoring the fast development without giving much comment on it.
Talking to NEPS here today, NPCC President SI Jamir made it very clear of their party’s stand that any settlement between the Naga underground leaders and the Government of India should come in a way that should be acceptable by one and all.
He, however, did not like to give much comment on it saying that they were yet to see the “pros and cons” of the process for settlement of the issue. “We have been asking the Naga national workers and the Government of India to make things transparent, so that we also can give our views constructively,” he added.
On the factions’ coming together, Jamir said they had been pleading right from the very beginning to all the factions to come together. “And if they could come together, we are the happiest,” he stressed.
The NPCC chief also came down heavily on ruling NPF on the issue of recommendation of “autonomous council” of the ENPO areas to the Center. “It was just a firefighting for the NPF government. They have no genuine feeling for the people of this region,” he alleged.
It was purely for taking narrow political mileage, in spite of fully knowing that the Government of India would not agree to that, he pointed out.
Describing as foolish act the NPF-led DAN Government’s recommendation for “autonomous council” of the ENPO areas to the Center, Jamir said why should they react and get unnecessarily their fingers burnt.
Asked about their party’s main election plank in the coming general election, the NPCC chief said it would be on “Corruption and misgovernance” of the NPF led DAN Government.
Without elaborating much on the nature corruption and misgovernance he alleged, Jamir stated that corruption was institutionalized in Nagaland. “Everybody knows about it,” he asserted.
When asked why the Congress in Nagaland failed to pressurize to remove the current Education Minister for his alleged corruption, he said they had no difficulty in doing so. It was Rio who faced difficulty in removing the Education Minister. “Because once he removes him, he would himself face lot of corruption charges as it would roll out many skeletons in the cupboards,” he added.