Speaking against the Government’s decision is undermining people’s mandate: NDPP Youth | Alleges ills of Naga society today are seeds sown during SC Jamir’s time

Mokokchung, 25 April (MTNews): Reacting strongly to the commentary made by former Chief Minister and Governor Dr SC Jamir recently, the NDPP Central Youth Organization has alleged that many of the ills that Naga society is grappling with today are seeds sown during the time of Dr SC Jamir as chief minister.

According to the NDPP Youth Organization, “The utterances and personalized attacks on the present leadership of the state by Dr SC Jamir are not only in bad taste but unbecoming and seem to be motivated with a negative agenda.”

The youth claimed that booth-capturing and coup of polling stations, use of money and muscle power in elections, defections and toppling governments, acquiring properties, back-door appointments with non-compliance to reservations, proxy teachers and bogus pensioners, are some of the many problems that the society have been burdened with after his rule.

The youth organization also called out the senior politician for remaining ‘unapologetic’ in authoring the Bedrock of Naga Society booklet which was rejected and condemned by all sections of the Naga people time and again.

“Like this booklet, his letters written against the Central Government meeting late AZ Phizo and against peace parleys are recorded in history for all generations to come,” the NDPP Central Youth Organization stated, adding that these are all “facts of history and yet he speaks like an angel!”

The youth organization also called his commentary on the ULB matter ‘shocking’ as it was under his chief ministership that the Nagaland Assembly approved and adopted the act in 2001.
“If he had not done so at that point of time, then we may not be faced with the present scenario. He followed a policy of “equal distance from all sections” as consultations, deliberations and taking all stakeholders on board was not his approach,” the NDPP CYO said.

It further said that Jamir followed a policy of “equal distance from all sections” as consultations, deliberations and taking all stakeholders on board “was not his approach” and that he confronted one and all and was therefore boycotted by the civil societies and mass based civil organizations during his tenure. “Speaking against the Government’s decision is an undermining of the people’s mandate as the Nagaland Assembly had taken the decision unanimously in response to the call of the tribal hohos and civil societies,” it maintained.

The NDPP CYO also called out Jamir for his “belittling” of Chumukedima district, “where he resides in his sprawling and luxurious property is shocking.” It said that the creation of new districts is recognition of the tribal identity of the Nagas, a move towards more efficient administration and governance and a genuine intention of reaching delivery mechanisms to the doorsteps of the people.

“Also, the people, especially the youth, will get more opportunities and recognition. It is difficult to understand why he continues to oppose these good gestures of the government. He really seems to have got left behind in his own time zone,” the NDPP CYO said.

It also said that Jamir’s “constant opposition to the creation of new districts in Nagaland is nothing but a total disrespect to the sentiments of the people and an undermining of the tribal sentiments of the Nagas.”

The NDPP CYO also said that it is unfortunate that SC Jamir “still seems to be carrying his personal grudge till today” despite being a nonagenarian. “His views questioning if the chief minister can continue in office are condemned and rejected,” it said. “The 91-year-old has either lost his bearings or continues to be spiteful in his line of thinking,” it added.

It further claimed that the present dispensation has the overwhelming mandate of the people of Nagaland and that the incumbent Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is now into his 5th tenure on the back of a massive mandate given by the electorate of Nagaland in the recently concluded general elections to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.

“Despite Dr SC Jamir’s best efforts to mislead the people during the election campaign, especially in his home district, the public responded to the positive campaign of the PDA coalition and completely rejected his party which did not win a single seat,” it said. “In his own home constituency, Jamir’s campaign once again crumbled as he ironically supported the very candidate who had defeated him in the past. These realities must have frustrated him,” the NDPP CYO stated.

“Dr SC Jamir is a senior leader who has held various positions in the past, but since 2003, when he was voted out of office despite having 59 Members in the assembly with only one single opposition member, he has continuously been rejected by the masses in elections after elections,” it said. Further, it was alleged that SC Jamir had “even joined the regional party and in the recent past made embarrassing attempts to hobnob with the BJP, but to no avail.”

It said that Dr SC Jamir would do well not to point fingers at others when he himself is responsible for so many wrongs. “Nagaland and the world have moved on and the present generation of leaders is making sincere efforts to improve governance, streamline delivery mechanisms and deliver the goods. Our leadership is responding to the voice of the people with an approach where every citizen is a member of team Nagaland,” it asserted.