Naga Peoples Front: Hit And Miss Report Card
- Part 1 -

Aheibam Koireng *

NPF (Naga Peoples Front) Logo

Nagaland Peoples Council (NPC) in its 9th General Convention held in Kohima on 18 October 2002 was renamed as Nagaland Peoples Front. A year later, in the 10th Nagaland Assembly Election held on 26 February, 2003, NPF secured 19 seats exceeded only by Indian National Congress (INC) with 21 seats out of total 60.

Other parties managed to get only in single digits. A similar situation of hung assembly which occurred 21 years before in the 05 Nagaland Assembly Election, held in November 10, 1982 again happened.

In the said hung assembly of 1982, Naga National Democratic Party (NNDP) which bagged 24 seats became opposition in the house while INC led government with support from Independents formed the Government. This is worth mentioning because NNDP is the predecessor organization of NPC which latest incarnate is the present NPF.

The SC Jamir led INC Government did not survived for long as Nephiu Rio and K. Therie abandoned INC and joined the NPF. On 06 March 2003, a Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) Government with Neiphiu Rio as Chief Minister (CM) was sworn in.

In the 11 Nagaland Assembly Election held in 05 March 2008, NPF fielded their candidates in 56 seats out of which only 26 got elected. . But somehow, the NPF led DAN Government with Nephiu Rio as CM was once again formed for the second time. And the only Lok-Sabha seat was bagged the NPF candidate, C.M. Chang in the 15 Lok-Shaba Election of 2009.

NPF IN MANIPUR

The fourthNagaland People's Front General Convention of 18 November 2008 culminated to the renaming of it into aNagaPeople's Front. Consequently, Party President Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu issued an office memorandum on 30 November 2009. With it, NPF no longer confines to Nagaland state only and the purported effort of realizing the underground agenda of aspired Nagalim through aided collaborative constitutional means became all the more obvious.

A NPF led DAN Government headed by Neiphiu Rio was sworn in on 05 March 2013. Later, Neiphiu Rio gave up his Chief Ministership to contest for the lone seat in the 16th Lok Sabha Election, 2014 which he won with thumping majority. Consequently, Rio, on 24 May 2014 assumed office as a Lok Sabha MP. And T.R. Zeliang, became CM on 24th May, 2014.

On 20 November 2015 all the INC MLAs defected to NPF. Surhozelie Liezietsu is the President of NPF Central Head Quarter till date since its inception.

NPF IN MANIPUR

On 01 April 2011, the formation of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh units of NPF was officially declared and the Manipur Unit was formally opened by MP and then Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio at Senapati on 28th May, 2011.

Those who accompanied Nephiu Rio in the said occasion include Dr. Shurhozelie Leizietsu, President of NPF (CHq); T.R. Zeliang, the incumbent Nagaland Chief Minister. Dr. Shurhozelie, while speaking on the occasion exhorted the unification of Nagas as their inherent birth right and also emphasized on the need to integrate all the Naga inhabited areas under one administrative rule which was also reiterated by other speakers. In 10th Manipur Assembly Election (MAE), 2012, NPF altogether fielded 12 candidates.

Nephiu Rio took great interest in the campaign and did whatever at his disposal to enhance the prospect of NPF. In his campaign address at places in Tamenglong, Chandel and Ukhrul, etc, he reiterated that the 10thMAE should be taken as Naga's referendum and also exhorted that the Nagas have been kept suppressed due to scattered settlement.

If it is referendum of Naga's, as stated, the thumping defeat of G. Gaingam, a very prominent figure of Naga integration campaign, Founder President of NPF Manipur State Unit and former President of UNC, defeat of NPF candidate in Chingai AC with big margin for which the sizeable number of voters is from the Somdal village, a birthplace of the Naga rebel leader, Mr. Th. Muivah are just footnotes to the poor electoral performance of NPF, despite all-out effort by its benefactor.

In the 16th Lok Sabha Election 2014 also, Nephiu Rio and TR Zeliang, the incumbent Nagaland CM and the Convenor of NPF election campaign and in-charge of Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency (OMPC) actively campaigned for the NPF candidate, Soso Lorho.

To enhance the prospect, Nephiu Rio used helicopters in the campaign and even resorted to unethical means amounting to character assassination of the other Naga candidates in the fray, Prof. Gangmumei Kamei (BJP candidate) and Mani Charanamei (independent candidate & former MP) by calling them as black sheep.

Regardless of their effort and endorsement by Naga organizations in Manipur, Soso Lorho was defeated. Post declaration of Election results, Prof. Gangmumei came out in public stating that NPF Candidate, Soso Lorho shouldn't held him responsible for his defeat by dividing the Naga votes but had only his benefactor to blame. Who the benefactor is to everyone's guess?

To be continued....