Dimapur, 26 June (MTNews): Former NPCC President K Therie has expressed his endorsement for the establishment of an Autonomous Council in the erstwhile Tuensang district of Nagaland. In a press release, Therie stated that if the people of erstwhile Tuensang district believe that an Autonomous Council is the answer to their present challenges, there should be no objections from any quarter.
However, Therie emphasized that the preservation of Nagaland’s territorial integrity and Article 371(A) should not be compromised. He said that in case of any compromise on the territorial integrity of Nagaland and Article 371(A), the opposition-less Govt. shall be held responsible and cannot be forgiven.
“The people of Nagaland have paid with blood and sweat and have toiled since 1918,” he argued.
The former NPCC President also drew attention to the fact that a Regional Council for the erstwhile Tuensang district was provided under clause (d) of Article 371(A). During the formation of statehood, the leaders of the erstwhile Tuensang district had expressed their preference to directly participate in the state government, he said, resulting in the idea of a Regional Council remaining dormant. Therie noted that despite the shortcomings, the people of the district were content with political parties such as NNO, Congress, and regional parties under the cock symbol.
He said that under the current BJP and alliance rule, complaints and ultimatums over discrepancies in allotment of funds, contracts, supplies, appointments, posting of teachers, lack of roads and all round development activities became daily news. Therie highlighted the serious discrepancies in administering justice and equality and revealed that the Congress party has addressed these concerns in its 2023 election manifesto, particularly for the Eastern Areas.
The Congress manifesto for the Eastern Areas includes proposals for a Mini-Secretariat, the creation of a Directorate of School Education, the relocation of the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA) to Tuensang, the implementation of 33% job reservations based on annual vacancies, and efforts to establish economic relations between Nagas in Myanmar and the Government of India.