An Open Letter to Nagaland CM

03 March 2016

To
Mr. T R Zeliang
Hon’ble CM, Nagaland

Sir,

Kindly recall your speech at the venue of this year’s Lui Ngai Ni Festival at Ukhrul, where you spoke of the aspirations of the Nagas. You were talking of the oneness of the Nagas and yet you had called the three bills passed by the Manipur Assembly to protect the local populace from being marginalized in their own state – anti-tribal.

Mr. Zeliang Sir, let me remind you, you are not a chief of a Naga village nor the President of Zelianrong Union nor the president of Naga HoHo. You are a Chief Minister of a state of the country. A CM is next to the prime minister of India in the affairs of the state; and the first in the state itself. Someone said great power comes with great responsibility, I hope you would agree with this.

However, your press statement issued through your office that have appeared in today’s newspapers in response to “Mr. L. Ibomcha, MLA of Manipur” seems to be otherwise. You apparently have forgotten that you are a CM of a state. Instead you have conducted yourself as a chief/president of a civil society organisation or of a student body, where sentiments and emotion are the rule of the game.

This is terrible. You would kindly remember that Naga exclusiveness was the tenets of your theme at Ukhrul that had induced the Naga Student’s Federation to become ultra-communal when they pick out Meitei vehicles to ban in Naga area. What a leadership you have shown to your own Naga people!

You are well aware – or are you not – of the problems and the issues that have become part of the socio-political ethos of this part of the world.

Given the sensitivity of the issues that have been infesting our region, how could you be so innocent and naïve to infer the Nagalim ideas contained the 16 – Point Agreement, etc. to justify your conduct. You must be well aware that your act have the potential to disturb the region that could have serious ramifications that you would not have thought of – or do you. You must have known that you yourself cannot practice what you have preached; otherwise how could the memory of the Naga legendary leader Rani Gaidinliu be insulted by your own people by not allowing a memorial site at Kohima in her honour, where you reign supreme.

Therefore, Mr. Zeliang, please do not try to play with the people of this region because that could never bring any success to your scheme of things.

High Regards,

Yours faithfully,
(Heikrujam Nabashyam)
Ex-Vice President
Manipur People’s Party

Imphal, 3rd March, 2016