Kohima, April 7 : The Nagaland Congress today asserted that it was committed to the integration of all the Naga-inhabited areas following criticism of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s statement on the territorial integrity of Manipur.
Several Naga organisations, the state government and the NSCN, which is engaged in talks with the Centre, had lambasted the statement made by the AICC general secretary, who while addressing a Congress rally in Churachandpur recently, said the territorial integrity of Manipur would not be altered.
The Nagaland PCC said in consonance with the aspirations of the Naga people, the Congress had joined hands with the other parties of the state in unanimously passing four resolutions for integration of all the Naga-inhabited areas in the Assembly.
“The Nagaland Congress is part and parcel of these resolutions,” R. Paphino, convenor, media cell of PCC said.
He said in its 2008 election manifesto, the party pledged to the Naga people that it would continue to urge upon the Centre the need to implement the 16-point agreement of 1960, in letter and spirit.
“This election manifesto was released with due approval of the AICC. The Nagaland PCC stands to ensure that the ardent desires and aspirations of the Naga people are fulfilled and there is no ambiguity as far as this issue is concerned,” Paphino said.
The ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) said the Congress had no moral right to speak about the Naga political issue as its high command had ruled out the disintegration of Manipur.
The DAN leaders, including chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, castigated the Opposition Congress for adopting double standards on the long-pending Naga issue.
Rio said during the past 50 years of Congress rule at the Centre, it had totally neglected the Naga issue and therefore, there was no hope for a solution under the party.
The DAN leaders also accused the Congress of dividing the Naga people into different segments like the Nagas of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.
They said only regional parties could protect the identity of the Naga people unlike the Congress, which had fooled the people for many decades.
However, the Congress slammed Rio and his alliance, saying the latter was indulging in empty political rhetoric to woo the gullible Naga voters.
Congress Legislature Party leader, Chingwang Konyak, said Article 371 (A) of the Constitution had bestowed all privileges and rights to the Naga people.
He said no Act could infringe into Article 371 (A) and that it was possible only due to the Congress under the leadership of Jawarharlal Nehru.
K. Asungba Sangtam, the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha seat said the party favoured Naga integration.
He said if elected, he would go all out to take forward the stalled Naga peace process between the Centre and the NSCN.
The NSCN had also reacted to the AICC general secretary’s statement, saying Manipur’s territorial integrity had again become the poll plank of the Congress.
The outfit however said the election plank should not be mixed up with the ground reality of the “Indo-Naga” political issue.
Some Naga organisations have also come out against the statement of Gandhi stating that he had “miserably” failed to understand the gravity of the Naga political problem vis-à-vis the ongoing peace process.
