The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has sharply criticised the recent political developments in the state, including the formal entry of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) into the NDPP-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) government on October 14 and the anticipated merger of the NDPP with the NPF, expected to be announced on October 21.
Describing the moves as “masterstrokes in headline management by a band of ideologically bankrupt leaders,” the NPCC alleged that the leaders involved have consistently prioritized personal power over public service. The statement noted that their only notable achievement over the past twenty-three years has been the “remarkable frequency with which they have switched political allegiances, even floating new political parties on more than one occasion, all in the relentless pursuit of power.”
The NPCC expressed concern that “NPF’s entry into the PDA government means that Nagaland has once again earned the dubious distinction of being governed by an opposition-less government.” It regretted that “not a single legislator possesses the moral and ethical fortitude to stand in opposition and represent the voice of the people,” calling it “unfortunate enough.”
The NPCC further said that what makes it even more tragic is that this “political theatre” is once again being staged under the pretext of “facilitating the peace process.”
“This is the time for accountability, not for indulging in or recycling rhetorical sloganeering,” the NPCC stated.
ALSO READ | Proposed merger between NPF and NDPP becoming a reality: Azo Nienu
Highlighting the “grandiose” promise made by Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio, who had pledged a “Naga Political Solution” within three months of coming to power twenty-three years ago, the NPCC said, “It would do him and his cohorts well to realize that the familiar jumlabaazi they are attempting to pull off once again will not work, because the people of Nagaland can now see through the smokescreen. They are living through the devastating consequences of twenty-three years of utter incompetence, corruption, and failure.”
The NPCC asserted that regardless of whether the state is governed by the NDPP, the NPF, or their merged avatar, the outcome will remain unchanged, continuing a regime that epitomizes “systemic corruption and one that has consistently supported and facilitated the divisive policies of the BJP, both at the Centre and in the State.”
