A rebuttal to Mr. Temjen Imna Along
A rebuttal to Mr. Temjen Imna Along vis-a-vis delimitation
PUBLIC STATEMENT-
Sub : A Clarion Call for Mr. Temjen Imna Along to step-down as Alongtaki MLA on moral grounds and to take a ‘NAGA customary Public Oath’ not to contest 2023 Assembly Elections – incase NAGA political peace settlement is not concluded by then.
On dated 2 July, 2020 Mr. Temjen gave a statement that “divisions among 14 tribes at this juncture not healthy” before the impending final solution to the decades old NAGA peace talks. This categorical statement has ‘deeply hurt the sentiments’ of Lakhs of ‘aggrieved Nagas’. Respecting the ‘overall public sentiments’, I am compelled to give a ‘rebuttal’.
Along too said if tribalistic colours always cropped up, then it calls for retrospection and moreover he recalled that the 2001 census was rejected. Let me remind him that the delimitation as a matter of constitutional process has no connections whatsoever with the NAGA peace process which has been going on since 1997, for more than 23 years running now.
Insofar as he is responsible for ‘fooling our NAGA people’s’ and consistently picturing ‘tribal colours’ on the delimitation issue; if he considers himself as a ‘patriotic NAGA and a good Christian’ he must ‘immediately resign from being a public representative’ on ethical and moral grounds and moreover if he is ‘overtly sincere’ in his ‘political commitments’ he must not ‘contest’ the 2023 elections, if at all the Naga peace talks will indefinitely continue beyond 2023 elections. The fact remains that he always ‘propogates’ final NAGA peace settlement and ‘belittles’ delimitation, so going by the ‘same logic’ he must not contest even the future 2023 constitutionally mandated state assembly elections. The matter of the fact is both the delimitation process and electoral process are time- bound ‘equal constitutional processes’ and the same is mandated by the Constitution and Parliament.
With the above statements, he must realise that delimitation, NAGA peace dialogue and elections are all ‘entirely separate’ issues and if he ‘pushes’ for linking one to another, he better ‘take NAGA customary Oath’ not to participate any future ‘due constitutional process’ i.e elections till the finalisation of the NAGA peace talks.
Now coming up to the Ao Kaketshir Mungdang ( AKM ) demand that as the censuses of 2001 and 2011 could not be considered as the basis for delimitation due to some variations in data, status quo should be maintained regarding the existing Assembly constituencies of the state. I must enunciate this statement is ‘gratuitous, silly and illogical’ and childish in nature. It seems to me that they do not appreciate ‘fact, truth and justice’ and doesn’t have the ‘will-power’ to understand beyond their own kitchen. They must stop committing continuous ‘unconstitutional folly’ one after another.
When the official ‘census enumerators’ were executing their official duties for the 2001 and 2011 census; is it that, most of the citizens of Mokokchung District were in paddy fields, jungle, picnicking or outdoors. Let me give a reminder, India’s official statistics, is by far the most accurate data of the population of India. The census process of India is not about counting the number of ID holders. It involves data collection teams going to each and every household in the country, marking those units and physically accounting for every person in the country. This gigantic task involves more than 2 million enumerators, leaving very little marginal scope for errors. And basing on population indexes, the various States in India gets their due share of central funds and so also delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly seats is implemented basing on it.
Finally let me enunciate an ‘enlightening exposition’ that a constitutional mandate as inferred in the Constitution of India as well as the mandate enacted in the Delimitation Act, 2002 ( as amended in 2008 ) posits that this Delimitation is purely a constitutional exercise and there is ‘absolutely’ no connections or colour associated with any caste, creed, race, sex, religion or for that matter tribe; while implementing the constitutional provision that was intended. We all must stand by the ‘law of the land’ and be a part of the acts that Parliament of India enacts.
‘Justice is the crowning glory of the virtues’. – Cicero
( HAYITHUNG BILL LOTHA )
Ex.NPP MP Lok Sabha Candidate
bill_12@rediffmail.com