NSCN urges for ‘free and fair election' in Manipur

DIMAPUR: With the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly scheduled to be held on few weeks time, the Advisor to Collective Leadership (ACL) and Southern Zone In-Charge GPRN/NSCN, Vaison Vemai today said that it should be the right time for all the eligible voters to cast their vote in free and fair manner without any fear.

“Very often, elections in the land of Nagas are accompanied with stern diktat from the armed organisations or the underground governments resulting in greater detriments rather than benefits,” he stated.

“It is high time that the people also realize what their rights are when it comes to choosing their representatives for the government,” he added.

The ACL further informed that restrictive orders with stern warning “are very frequent whenever State Assembly elections or Lok Sabha elections are held” leaving public in confusion as to  “whether the Naga underground or the national workers are fighting for the rights of the people or for their intended candidates!”

“To campaign in the Indian election by favouring a particular candidate or a political party is not a dignified duty of an organisation that seek for a sovereign state nor the Naga armies are instituted or trained to take away the freedom of the Naga citizens!,” he underscored.

Those showing keen interest in the Indian electoral process by “imposing various kind of warning upon the innocent civilian has no moral right to called themselves as true national workers,” he further asserted.

Vemai also alleged that many “underground leaders are corrupted with the money of the politician, general public are also partly to be blamed for their failure to protest and protect what belongs to them.”

On reported “signed declaration in support of the Framework Agreement (FA)” by the Naga People Front (NPF) of Manipur unit, he wondered what FA was to the unit.

Do they think that FA was signed between Government of India and NPF of Manipur unit? Vemai posed, adding that if the signatories thought that FA was signed between the Nagas and the GoI, why they stay silent as MLAs.

“Why talk about solution for a particular group only when election arrives?”

To this end, the ACL asserted that the unit must understand that Nagas cause cannot be made use for their political gain.

“If they truly love their people and the Nagas, they must first act and show the Naga public what they can or have sacrificed for the cause of the Nagas,” he said, asserting that seeking political favour from “some of the underground leaders with a motive of electoral gains during election time is frivolous and reprehensible laxity.”

Accordingly, he said that the exercise the fundamental right of, the right to vote, should be left free to all and the individual’s rights should also be respected irrespective of a person's status or position.

“Any organisations or faction of any underground government should refrain from interfering in the Indian sponsored election,” Vemai added.

So long as the voters are forced to bow to the threats without a question, good governance, the wish of every citizen, cannot be produced, he added.

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