Kohima: The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has condemned the arguments forwarded by Nagaland minister and State BJP president, Temjen Imna Along Longkumer against the stand of the Naga people for the flag and the constitution to be accepted and recognized by the Government of India through the proposed solution, to the protracted Indo-Naga political issue during his recent speech in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. “His insinuation that certain Naga political groups are indulging in delaying tactics for their selfish gains only reflects the shallow understanding of the issue that is just, fair and righteous,” the NSF said in a statement today.
The apex Naga student body said, “While he indulges in rhetorics that pleases his political bosses at the centre, he has altogether forgotten the blood, sweat and tears of those who gave up their everything in order to usher in a solution that is inclusive, honourable and acceptable to every Naga individual”. The NSF also said that the minister’s public advocacy for the Naga solution to be brought within the framework of the Indian Constitution undermines the founding principles of the Naga homeland and the same is not accepted by the Naga youth and students’ community. “More so, his conviction that separate flag and constitution shall not form a part of the ‘solution’ reeks of a conspiracy to deprive the Naga people’s legitimate rights wherein he is an integral part of, if not the mastermind of the same”, the student body added.
The NSF then said that it is truly saddening that the elected people’s representative fails to truly comprehend the larger issue at hand and chooses to be the shadow and the echo of the few names he threw around during his eloquently crafted speech at the state legislative assembly. The Federation condemned Temjen Imna’s “inability” to assert the rights of the Naga people and for towing the lines of those truly responsible for the delay in honouring the “unique history and situation” of the Naga people.
The Federation, therefore, said it is constraint to caution the minister against activating his “verbal diarrhea mode” on issues wherein he has very little or no knowledge about. The NSF further said that being a first time elected member of the state Legislative Assembly does not automatically qualify him to make sweeping statements on an issue that is more than a century old and involves the sacrifices of the entire Naga people. The Federation demanded that the sentiments of the Naga people are truly respected by him and that no further attempts to placate his alter-egos are made.
NNN