Guwahati: Regional parties of the North Eastern region, including the Meghalaya Opposition United Democratic Party, on Sunday allied together to form a common platform to pursue the issues concerning the region and ‘make the voice of the region heard’ at the national level.
A meeting held here formed the North East Regional Political Front (NERPF), with almost all regional parties of the North Eastern region as its members and provision for induction of new members at later stages.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio (Naga People’s Front) has been named the convener of NERPF, while former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta (Asom Gana Parishad) has been named the chief advisor. Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr. Donkupar Roy (UDP), Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling (Sikkim Democratic Front) and former Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga (Mizo National Front), have been named advisors.
All the member parties will have representation in the executive committee of the NERPF, which will have its head-office in Guwahati.
Briefing mediapersons at the end of the meet, Mahanta said, “The NERPF has been formed after comprehensive discussions. Besides issues pertaining to the region, national issues were also discussed at the meeting.”
Rio, elaborating on the objectives of the NERPF, said, “The Front will work to safeguard the territorial, cultural, social and political rights of the people of the region and protect the distinctive features of every tribe and community.”
The Front would be expanded in the future with induction of members from other states as well.
Rio said the main objective behind the NERPF was to lend a collective voice to the people of the region as their individual voices were unheard at most times. He was, however, non-committal on the issue of fielding common candidates in the upcoming general elections and whether the Front will have any proximity with the main national parties, the Congress and the BJP.
To a poser if the NERPF was a political alliance of some sort, the Nagaland Chief Minister said it was more of a political forum or platform rather than any kind of alliance.
The Front has, meanwhile, demanded scrapping of the land swap deal with Bangladesh and the AFSPA from the North East and expressed concerns at repeated Chinese incursions and reports of building of mega dams by China on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra.
The meeting expressed concern at the reported lack of security of North Eastern students and women in other parts of the country and demanded 80 per cent reservation of jobs in all private and public sector in the region.
The meeting further demanded a fresh look at the Centre-state relations and constitutional safeguard for the indigenous people of the region. (UNI)