Nagaland Assembly election: Won’t allow holding of polls, threatens apex tribal group

The threat comes after the Centre decided to go ahead with the polls in the insurgency-ravaged state without resolving the vexed issue and ignoring the voices of people.
Image for representational purpose only
Image for representational purpose only

GUWAHATI: The upcoming Assembly elections in Nagaland scheduled for February 27 may not be a smooth affair, the state's apex tribal organisation Naga Hoho warned on Saturday.  

“We haven’t yet decided on boycotting the election but we are surely not going to allow it,” Naga Hoho president Chuba Ozukum told The New Indian Express.

The threat comes after the Centre decided to go ahead with the polls in the insurgency-ravaged state without resolving the vexed issue and ignoring the voices of people. For the past few months, the Nagas at large had been clamouring for settlement, not elections.

The Naga Hoho is critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not resolving the issue despite giving a commitment.

“After assuming charge, he (Modi) had assured us that the issue will be resolved within 15 months. Then, they (Centre) said it cannot be achieved before Assam and Manipur elections. So, we waited patiently. Three years have elapsed and in the meanwhile, the BJP formed government in Assam, Manipur and also Arunachal Pradesh. As the tenure of present Nagaland Assembly is coming to an end, we thought it was the best time to give a solution. But the government has betrayed the Nagas by going ahead with the election. Its actions have now forced us to question its sincerity,” a fuming Ozukum said.

“The Naga civil societies, all tribes, political parties and sitting legislators have come out asserting they want a solution and not election. Now that the government is holding it, let them go ahead but if there are no candidates, how can there be an election?” he asked.

Ozukum said the Naga Hoho would make an appeal to the political parties not to field candidates. Back in 1998, Assembly election in the state was boycotted but the then ruling Congress, besides some Independent candidates, contested it.

The Congress had grabbed 53 of the 60 seats while the remaining seven seats went to the Independents. The Naga Hoho president said 1998 was a different situation. 

“Then the election was boycotted by only Naga Hoho, Naga Students’ Federation, NSCN-IM (Isak-Muivah faction of an insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland) and one/two political parties demanding a settlement. The Congress then was very strong and went ahead with the election. But now, all political parties and the Nagas as a whole are against the polls,” Ozukum added.

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