The decision was taken after the failure of the government of India to respond to several representations submitted on Naga political issue. NPAC has also appealed to ENPO to observe the six-hour statewide bandh starting from 6 am to 12 noon across the state on January 14.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Nagaland People’s Action Committee (NPAC) on Thursday decided to boycott the visit of the officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to the state scheduled for January 14 by calling a six hours statewide bandh on the same day.
Briefing media persons after more than four hours of closed door meeting held at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur, convener, Theja Therie, highlighted that a situation has finally come for the Nagas to be decisive.
Underlining that the Nagas have requested to the government of Nagaland several times and on several occasions, the committee has submitted several letters with regard to the issue Naga political issue and have not heard any response whatsoever from the government of India.
Stating that early solution to the protracted political issue is a “political movement” and also a “people’s movement that is going to decide the fate of the future and destiny of the Nagas, Theja Therie informed that NPAC is just a committee, endorsed, and empowered by the tribes of the Nagas and its different organizations to pursue for early solution of the long pending Naga political issue which it said it would not hold back till it is arrived at.
“We believe and hope that the government of India will definitely deliver what they had promised as “magnificent India and a great democracy cannot go back from its words” said Theja while adding that Nagas have suffered for 80 to 90 years of struggles.
Also adding that with 26 years of negotiations with the government of India for an early solution to the Naga political issue, Theja said that if there is no political will, another 50 years would not be enough to draw the attention of the government of India.
Saying that NPAC’s voice is that if negotiation cannot yield any result, why not called off the talk, the NPAC’s convenor went on to add that “this nonsense talk cannot give burden to the Naga people anymore” and that the Nagas would decide to live its own lives accordingly even if they are to struggle but under the “shadow of negotiations and peace process”, the Nagas cannot tolerate and “suffer this kind of lives any longer”.
“Allow us to have a free space to breathe and walk, do things we want”, said Theja and also added that because of which the NPAC has converged in the meeting and had expressed their voice loud and clear that “now or never, enough is enough” that solution to the Naga political issue be delivered to the people at the earliest.
On the scheduled visit of Election Commission of India (ECI) official visits to Nagaland on January 14, Theja Therie said that ECI will execute its own constitutional obligations, their exercises, and conduct trainings or whatever security have to be arranged.
Stating that the 14 Naga tribes have expressed themselves loud and clear, written to the government of India, and taken a decisive resolution by expressing their minds what they want and what they do not want, it was expressed that they all want “solution before election”.
He also said that the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) which represents the tribes also has voiced for solution before election which was also supported by the GBs Federation who has since the beginning being asking for “solution before election”, while the Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) voicing out even to the extend asking for “President’s Rule” in the state if the situation in the state at the moment is not conducive and if not prevent the election.
Theja also said NPAC during Thursday’s closed door meeting, it was decided that on the arrival of ECI at Dimapur airport, the state would express democratic resentment by staging a statewide bandh.
On the ENPO issue, Theja Therie, said that NPAC know the situation of the ENPO but which is “little different” from the NPAC but it respect their sentiments and understand their situations and circumstances in which they are now negotiating with the government of India for a separate statehood.
In this regard, the NPAC convener, has made an appeal to the ENPO also to join and observe the six hours statewide bandh starting from 6 am to 12 noon across the state.
NPAC convener further informed that the tribal bodies in Dimapur would organize volunteers and they would be stationed at the Airport till the National Highway while also putting up banners and placards to convey message to the visiting ECI team that at the moment the Nagas are not ready for election but want solution while also asking the government of India to respect the sentiments of the Nagas.