Nagaland governor's Independence Day speech not well received by people: PDA coalition

Guwahati: Ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) coalition government which has Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and BJP as the partner stated that Nagaland governor, R. N Ravi's Independence Day speech has not been well received by the people.
The PDA alliance had its meeting in Kohima on Thursday. The resolution signed by BJP president Temjen Imna Along and NDPP president Chingwang Konyak said, “ welcomed the decision of the Prime minister and Home minister and the government of India for taking the initiative to resume the Indo-Naga political dialogue with utmost seriousness in our collective endeavour for an political solution that will pave the way for peace, progress and all round development.”

The PDA reiterates its support to the peace process in its role as active facilitator in order to create an atmosphere that is conducive to the realisation and successful landing of the political solution.

The PDA has taken note of the people’s concern in the contents of the Governor’s Independence Day speech wherein negative statements on Nagaland were made. “The PDA observes that the speech has not been well received by the people. Though Nagaland may not be the best performing state, we are making every effort to take the state forward on all developmental fronts. As representatives of the people, the PDA is compelled to voice the feelings of the people.”

Ravi who is also interlocutor of Naga talks had in his speech stated, “ Investment climate in Nagaland is worrisome. We need to build investment friendly eco-system so as to encourage investors from outside and within the State to have sufficient confidence to set up enterprises. Unfortunately Government jobs are the main source of employment and the economy is largely based on salaries of Government servants. Even our agriculture and horticulture sectors which are the mainstay of our State’s economy are in distress. We have to encourage and incentivise entrepreneurship”.

He said, “Ironically relative decline is more obvious during recent decades. When the security forces and the Naga armed groups agreed to suspend operations against each other paving the way for political settlement, the legitimate expectation of the people of Nagaland was dividends of peace – freedom from fear of guns, better health, better education, better infrastructure, better livelihood opportunities, an atmosphere to dream and an ecosystem to pursue their dreams.”

The governor added, “Incongruously a deeply entrenched network of vested interests has emerged during the period which has misappropriated the dividends of Peace and did not allow them to reach the people. There is mass scale mayhem and miscarriage of dreams and expectations of the people of Nagaland. It is unendurable and unacceptable. In India’s grand march forward, Nagaland cannot be left behind. The people of Nagaland have their natural right of a dignified future. For this we will have to build and strengthen institutions of accountability, justice and fair play. We will have to break the vice – like grip of the vicious circle of the network of vested interests and make way for the virtuous circle of peace, prosperity and happiness for our people. This cannot be achieved by the Government alone. In this endeavor, we need the cooperation of the two million people of Nagaland. I have deep and abiding faith in the inherent goodness and capability of our people”.

NSCN-IM is presently holding peace parleys with the government of India. Talks are caught in a stalemate for NSCN-IM has sought replacement of interlocutor, R N Ravi.

NSCN-IM raised demand for a separate flag and constitution. The Centre has ruled out a separate flag and constitution earlier.

PDA has appealed to the Nagaland opposition party, Naga Peoples Front (NPF) to reconsider its decision of withdrawing membership from the Joint Legislators Forum (JLF) on Naga political issue.

NPF has resolved to withdraw on the ground of “huge trust deficit”, particularly since the ruling dispensation has no confidence with the NPF legislator.