Naga People’s Front (NPF) Friday said the remark by PAC convenor of NPCC K. Therie, against the chief minister Neiphiu Rio and NPF president Dr. Shürhozelie, carried “no iota of truth” and was the “unthinkable joke of the era.”
NPF press bureau was reacting to Therie’s claim that both Rio and Shürhozelie “could not understand that Naga Underground and over ground society have been fractured into pieces during their governance” and that people were not comfortable “under their biased leadership” and also not happy with “the paternalistic, manipulative and dictatorial leadership.”
It said contrary to Therie’s “lightheaded statement”, the “degree of unity and progress on all fronts” has ameliorated “as never before” consequent to the “sincere, incessant / consistent efforts and hard work” in just a few years of the NPF-led DAN govt. in office.
Maintaining that at this juncture “we need a strong leadership”, the bureau said “as such, the unambiguous, candid and impartial opinion” expressed by Rio over the status of the “Indo-Naga political process” and “Supra State Body” should not be “misconstrued or marginalized for scoring frustrated personal interests.”
NPF stated that quest of the Naga people for a “permanent solution of the Indo-Naga political issue” has tracked on for decades and the issue has been on the DAN govt.’s “top priority.” Asserting that a lot has been said and done over the issue, it said NPF would continue to be the foundation upon which “the principles and ideology of the Naga people’s political aspiration” lay.
NPF press bureau said the vision of party leadership to widen its ambit to cover all Naga inhabited areas was to “promote social integration, national understanding and create/maintain political order” to ensure a “clean and self reliant society”.
On ENPO’s statehood demand, the NPF said DAN govt. has “never minced words” or shied away from making “factual commends.” It pointed out that on Jan 14 last, Dr Shürhozelie, while inaugurating the 63rd USSC at Kiphire, “clearly” said he had nothing to “commend” on the ENPO demand for a separate state as it was a matter between the ENPO and the Centre.
The bureau recounted that Dr Shürhozelie, while expressing apprehension that development may dismantle the hard won peace which has paved the way for a final solution to the Naga political issue, said “Naga people will be helpless if the stage players fall into the trap of speaking what the ‘prompters’ prompt from behind the screen.”
Also, pointing out that NPF was “a well-knit, disciplined family”, it said NPF was a party with “unwavering stand to safeguard and uphold the Naga identity and work towards bringing a solution to the Indo-Naga political issue acceptable to all.”
Reacting to K.Therie’s remark over re-nomination of Dr. Shürhozelie as NPF president, the NPF said its constitution has it all as to how the election process of the party should go.
The bureau said it was “utterly ridiculous and astonishing” that K. Therie took it so “bitterly and murmur” about the re-election of Dr Shürhozelie as NPF president.
“It only confirms how his folly has driven him to the nadir,” said the NPF, adding his “outrageous attack” on the system of election of another political party only reflected “the degree of his frustrated and desperate state of mind.”
It advised Therie to “realize his situation” and keep away from meddling into “other’s affairs and mind his own affairs”.