Rijiju flayed
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 15 2014:
A group of former Nagaland MLAs and Church leaders under the banner "Concerned Naga Senior Citizens" has expressed dismay over the recent statement of Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju that BJP led NDA Government at the Centre would not allow the ongoing peace talks with NSCN (IM) to jeopardize Manipur's territorial integrity.
Kiren Rijiju had reportedly said this during his by-election campaign for the BJP candidate Maibam Dhanabir in Manipur's Thoubal district a few days ago, NNN reports from Dimapur.
According to Eastern Mirror, a Dimapur based newspaper, a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appended by seven signatories including TA Ngullie (Former Minister), Bendangangshi ( Ex MLA), DK Zeliang (Rural Economist & Environmentalist), Rev L Bizo (President Council of Rtd Senior Admn Officer), NA Kasar (Ex Lecturer International Naga Baptist Churches), Rev Dr Sumpi John (Theological College, Dimapur) and Rev L Suohie Mhasi (Ex MLA) mentioned that the statement of the Union Minister of State for Home would jeopardize the peace talk between the two entities as there is no meeting point for solution of the longest revolutionary movement in the world without bringing all the Naga inhabited territories under one single administrative umbrella which is also a Constitutional commitment of the Government of India under the Sixteen Points Agreement of 1960 while naming Nagaland as the 16th State of the Indian Union.
The memorandum appealed to the Prime Minister to take a fresh look at the entire issue and come to a logical conclusion expeditiously by respecting the "Unique history and situation" of the Nagas which has been recognised as per the Amsterdam Joint Communiqu�, July 11, 2002, during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's regime.
Meanwhile, the senior citizens also lauded the historic landslide victory recorded by the BJP party in the last Lok Sabha election under Modi's leadership.
"Seeing this victorious achievement of your party, the entire country is looking forward to bringing radical changes towards the upliftment of the people at the grass root level up to their expectation," the Naga senior citizens said, according to Eastern Mirror report.