UDA Govt playing role of facilitator assigned by NSCN (I-M); NPCC demands dismissal

KOHIMA: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has urged the governor to dismiss the UDA government in Nagaland because it has been acting as a "facilitator" for the Naga peace process, as the NSCN (I-M) has assigned it, in violation of the Indian constitution.

NPCC president K Therie explained his position to the media at Congress Bhavan on Wednesday, saying that legislators have been acting as 'facilitators' for the past 17 years, as assigned by the NSCN (I-M).

He claimed that the UDA government was no longer a people's government, but rather one that was acting on the orders of the NSCN (I-M) and acting as a facilitator.

To chief minister Neiphiu Rio's alleged statement that "as a facilitator, I have nothing to say," Therie opined that Rio should be fired if he represented the NSCN(I-M) rather than the Naga people.

Therie remarked that while the chief minister was expected to deny the NSCN (I-M) accusation of legislators "overstepping their role as facilitator" and going beyond their assigned role in making perplexing statements on Naga solution, he had not done so so far.

He said the NSCN (I-Maccusation )'s was an admission that the group was running the State government and that instead of cutting development funds and allowing extortion on all items, the government continued to fund the group, resulting in a price hike.

He claimed that legislators were banding together (under UDA) for survival, and that this was why, for the past 25 years, they had no concrete agenda for a solution, and that their sole goal was to survive together without reaching an agreement.

People are most afraid of the group's summons,' according to Therie, so they take all their disputes to the NSCN (I-M) courts because the administration has long since collapsed. All of this, he said, was in direct violation of the oath of allegiance to the Indian Constitution, which was established by law to uphold the country's sovereignty and integrity. Therie reiterated that whatever was "give-able by the Centre and what was acceptable to the people" was known, and that statements for one solution were made deliberately to cause delay.

He claimed that despite 25 years of negotiations, Rio was still unable to grasp the situation, proving that he was unfit to lead, adding, "I don't consider Rio to be an intelligent person."

In a sarcastic tone, Therie suggested that the State government should have stated that the two agreements – the Framework Agreement and the Agreed Position – should be implemented immediately and that they would pave the way as soon as they were.

Therie claimed that the NSCN (I-Mdemand )'s for a separate flag and constitution was based on a "inner understanding" with the Centre, and that there was no reason for the group to withdraw from the talks.

He claimed that backing out after signing the Framework Agreement and then talking about the flag and constitution without sovereignty didn't make sense because the Nagas were not fools.

When asked if the final solution would be similar to the 16-Point Agreement or the 9-Point Agreement, Therie pointed out that the 16-Point Agreement took a year to reach, whereas the 9-Point Agreement took only a month. Despite 25 years of negotiations, he claims no one has been able to provide a concrete suggestion of what "we want."

When asked if the Naga issue would continue to linger despite the signing of the 16-Point Agreement, Therie responded that people have changed and will no longer shelter anyone.

He recalled that the NNC and FGN fought for the people without extortion, torture, or intimidation, and that today Nagas are threatened and extorted by "our own people," and that they do not want such a struggle to continue.

He insisted that people should be free to choose their own fate, and that others should not make decisions for them because Nagas do not interfere in other people's affairs.

In response to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's involvement with the UDA government for a Naga solution, Therie said that while Nagas respect all neighbouring States, the latter should not be involved in the Naga political issue because it was unnecessary to take the issue to another state.

Since stakeholders have accepted that the Centre has ruled out sovereignty and integration, he declared that the ground reality of a political solution was about Nagaland.

He claimed that the Centre was attempting to appoint a new governor, and that his party would wait for the next incumbent to submit a representation before submitting one.