NPF stands for peace and development: Shürhozelie

Dimapur, March 28 : Veteran politician, regional heavyweight and NPF President Dr Shürhozelie today declared that the NPF would continue to strive for the welfare of all Nagas under its declared policy of peace for development and development for peace. According to an official note from the DAN campaign, Dr Shurhozelie was addressing a jam-packed town hall in Mon on the occasion of the official launch of the NPF election campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. The NPF president said that the NPF would continue to support the peace process and all sections who are striving for unity and reconciliation.
Making a scanting attack on the opposition Shürhozelie said that the Congress has no policy or roadmap to bring solution to the Naga problem. He said that according to the Congress, “statehood had compromised the sovereignty of the Nagas” as per the Congress’ stand declared in its booklet “bedrock of Naga society”. He condemned the booklet and its contents saying the booklet contained derogatory remarks about the Nagas.  “The Congress talks about solution to the Naga political problem but they still own the booklet,” Shürhozelie said adding that all sections of the Nagas including the civil societies have asked the Congress to withdraw the booklet but the Congress still refuses to withdraw the booklet.
If they want to withdraw the booklet, they must first apologise to the Naga people, the NPF president stated. He went on to say that the Congress only knows how to criticise others as they had no issues to dwell on. On I. Imkong’s statements about the personal life of DAN candidate CM Chang, Dr. Shürhozelie stated that “Imkong has no right to bring up such a subject when he has married his own sister. It is taboo to do such a thing”.
He said that the regional party was responsible for long term and beneficial policies which have long term positive impact. He highlighted some of the initiatives of the regional party over the past decades saying that among a host of initiatives the prominent policies that stand out are the Backward Area Development Fund, job reservation for backwards including the 25 % reservation for the six tribes of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire, the introduction of the VDB and allocation of funds to each and every village of the state, implementation of the LADF, free text books for students, Border Area Development Fund, department of DUDA, RSJY and construction of a DUDA Guest House at Kohima.
Dr. Shürhozelie termed CM Chang as an experienced leader who was well conversant with the government system as a retired IAS officer. He said that election of Chang to represent Nagaland in Delhi would be highly beneficial.