Delhi was never serious on Naga issue: Dr Shurhozelie
Source: NEPS / Oken Jeet Sandham

Kohima, April 04: Nagaland Minister for Urban Development and Higher Education Dr Shurhozelie said "if the Government of India thinks Nagaland is part and parcel of the Union of India, the problem of Nagaland should be a national problem".

Talking to NEPS here at his private residence today, the senior Minister said the problem in Nagaland was not the problem confining to the Nagas alone.

"It is a national problem, if the Government of India thinks that Nagaland is part and parcel of the Union of India," he said adding, "Once this problem is solved, one of the national problems is solved".

They had lost many golden opportunities where Delhi could have settled the issue, he pointed out.

Dr Shurhozelie

Asked who was to blame for such a long unresolved issue, Dr Shurhozelie said, "For me I want to be very clear that Delhi was never very serious to solve the Naga political issue".

But now they had to blame their own underground people for having so many factions.

"Every one of them is fighting for sovereignty.

But according to the present trend, each of them (factions) is fighting for the same sovereignty, that means, we will be having 6 to 7 sovereignties," he said wondering the reason why they could not come together when they had same cause.

The NPF Chief also described the recently held election as "unique" saying that almost all the underground factions went against NPF candidates.

In some places, the NSCN (IM) went against their candidates, somewhere the NSCN (K) went against their candidates while the "so-called Unification Group" had openly went against the NPF sponsored candidates, besides the State Government machineries too went against them, the Minister said.

Even in Aghunato Village under Zunheboto district, the so-called revolutionary group came in support of the Congress but in that village, the villagers fought with them and snatched away their guns and beat them up.

He also claimed the NSCN (IM) cadres worked so hard against him in his constituency.

"I don't know the reason why they went against me," he added.

Yet the people were with them and that was how their NPF party emerged as the single largest party in the aftermath of the election in the State.

Had their candidates faced the elections without such underground threats and intimidations, they would simply have walk over, he claimed.

He further wondered whether all these factions could come together as they did during elections to fight against a particular political party.

"I wish they come together for the sake of the Naga political settlement," he said asking, "Why can't they come together for the sake of political settlement if they could do so to fight against a particular political party during elections".

Justifying his claim of State Government machineries going against them during elections in the state, Dr Shurhozelie said in Jangpetkong, the Government had posted IRB personnel but that IRB personnel were withdrawn which the State DGP was not aware of.

Later on they found that that was directly withdrawn by Advisor to the Governor, he asserted saying these were some of the instances where the Government machineries went against them during the elections by taking advantage of the President's Rule that was illegally and unconstitutionally imposed in the State.