Kohima: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has termed the Nagaland Home Minister’s statement an ‘added insult’ to the people of Nagaland.
In a rejoinder to the statement of Home Minister G Kaito Aye, the NPCC expressed that the people of Nagaland are reeling under the onslaught of unabated taxations by various organisations and underground groups leading to market prices spiraling out of control, compounded by factional fights and killings in public places.
It pointed out that the recent agitations leading to statewide bandh on June 18 in support of ACAUT (Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation) movement against unabated taxations, and the Naga Students’ Federation led total bandh on July 1 last against factional killings, are indicators of people resorting to agitation to wake up the Naga Peoples Front (NPF) Government from its deep slumber.
The NPCC also alleged that the callous statement of the Home Minister is an insult to the memory of innocent civilians killed or injured during factional firefights in public places.
It opined that the Home Minister, instead of giving a comparative analysis of killings that happened in the past during Congress rule, should conserve his energy to run the present state of affairs which needs his attention.
The extraordinary situation faced by the state during the period preceding the Ceasefire and few years after that, are still fresh in the minds of the public who survived that era.
The Home minister need not reopen the wounds as he himself was part of that Congress ministry and the present Chief Minister as Home Minister and for which both are equally responsible, it stated.
It also pointed out that the assertion that both Chief Minister and Home Minister are closely monitoring every development taking place in the state will not solve the problem as parallel governments have virtually hijacked the writ of the state leading to total breakdown of law and order, with the public losing all faith in the ability of the government to maintain the rule of law.
The State Government, it stated, has to enforce the writ of the state to protect the lives and rights of its citizens.
Further, the Congress said that the Home Minister repeatedly advocating for counselling the UG cadres on Ceasefire Ground Rules to curb factional clashes is simply a naive approach drawn into a misplaced belief that Underground cadres will easily co-operate.
The real problem, as per the NPCC, lies elsewhere, not in the poor understanding of the ceasefire ground rules.
Instead of expressing shock over the Congress’ statement, the rejoinder said, the Home Minister should restore the confidence of the people in the ability of the state government to guarantee their safety and security. (UNI)