Naga political issue is our poll priority, says TNL Prez
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, March 01 2022: Amid the pre-poll rush for development agenda, Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) president David K Shimray has called for a shift in the public opinion across the Tangkhul community with regard to the ensuing state assembly elections.

He said that any election should be issue-based and all candidates should be vision-oriented.

"For the Nagas, our agenda is very clear.

There should be no other priority than our long-fought political movement until it's resolved conclusively.

So the coming election is no different," Shimray said in an interaction with the press in his office chamber on Tuesday.

The 77-year-old TNL chief said that Naga issue is a political issue and that the Framework Agreement was signed to pave the way for a final political settlement.

"So, the top priority of our people is to resolve the political issue at the soonest," Shimray asserted.

He continued that any MLAs from the Tangkhul community irrespective of their party's affiliations, when elected, should be committed and willing to devote their services towards resolution of the pending Naga political issue on priority basis.

Specifically, though, for this, the community leaders have chosen the Naga People's Front (NPF) to represent the voice of the people.

"It's not that we are against any other political parties, but we, the collective public (Longnao) leadership, have given our blessing and prayerful mandate to NPF because it is the only party that stands for the Naga people," he explained.

He reminded all the electorates across the Tangkhul community about the decision of the collective public leadership.

Glossing over development-driven poll agenda in the run-up to the elections, he said that development is secondary.

"Development is meaningless until our political issue is resolved and our people are free from the political bondage," he said.

He also reminded all the soon-to-be MLAs from the community to strive for the cause of the people and not run after personal aggrandizement.

In the event of the people's representatives straying away from the goal and succumbing to wealth and self-interest, the precious people's mandate would go wasted and the land would become a vacuum, he rued.

"We have our own Kingdom and we are going to choose our Kings.

And the most I worry about is a Kingdom without a King," he remarked.

Comment