KOHIMA, Feb 22: AICC secretary in-charge of Nagaland, Christopher Tilak, on Saturday accused the state government of neglecting socio-economic problems, particularly concerns of youth and women, while only focusing on the unresolved Naga political issue.
Tilak was addressing a press conference here after completing the first phase of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) tour of several districts.
“There has been limited focus on socio-economic issues in Nagaland, while political concerns draw the government’s attention,” he alleged.
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Tilak, along with NPCC president and Lok Sabha MP S Supongmeren Jamir and NPCC working president Khriedi Theunuo, started the tour on February 18 from Peren district and it culminated in Kohima on Saturday after covering Dimapur, Wokha, Mokokchung and Phek districts as part of the party’s grassroots outreach programme.
Tilak highlighted the extensive engagement with various district-level party leaders, including district presidents, office bearers, assembly coordinators, and members of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), as well as youth and women wing leaders in the districts.
Sharing observations of the tour, Tilak said that during deliberations, the concern was that the socio-economic issues, particularly those affecting the youth and women, were largely overlooked by the state government with more focus being made towards the political issue.
“Widespread unemployment, migration, lack of basic infrastructure and poor road connectivity were major concerns in the districts we visited,” he said.
Tilak claimed that many rural areas in Nagaland suffer from lack of essential services such as education, healthcare and transportation.
Roads, in particular, were identified as a major issue, he said, adding that bad roads act as a barrier to progress, limiting access to essential services in both urban and rural areas.
“This, in turn, exacerbates socio-economic disparities, particularly for the marginalised communities who remain cut off from opportunities in the state capital,” he said.
He said that people are bearing the brunt of these socio-economic challenges, and the absence of a comprehensive plan to address these issues has compounded the situation.
Tilak emphasised that the Congress is committed to not only addressing the political issue of Nagaland but also focusing on these critical socio-economic issues.
He said it was high time that the government focused on development indicators such as infrastructure, roads, schools, and healthcare to uplift the people of Nagaland.
Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre, he accused it of creating false perceptions about development, claiming that despite the “rhetoric of double-engine growth”, the reality on the ground did not reflect this.
He claimed that while the BJP government presents a “facade of progress”, lack of real development, especially in the rural areas of Nagaland, is evident.
The AICC secretary also made a pointed critique of the governing class, particularly the political elite, who, according to him, do not experience the struggles faced by the common people.
He noted that while the political leaders often fly in helicopters, bypassing the crumbling road infrastructure, ordinary citizens have to endure the terrible condition of the roads.
He argued that if political leaders used the same roads as the general public, the situation would improve drastically.
Tilak claimed that the popularity of the Congress was growing in Nagaland, particularly after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when the state sent a candidate of the party to the lower house of Parliament.
He credited this success to the desire for a change among the people of Nagaland, who, according to him, despite the Congress’s relatively weak organisational strength, still support the party.
He said that the party’s core ideology, centred around secularism and unity, continues to resonate with the people.
Tilak said that in the coming months, Congress will work to strengthen its organisational strength, particularly focusing on youth and women’s participation. He also noted that the party’s preparations for the 2028 state elections were underway with an aim to increase the party’s representation in the assembly by securing more MLAs.
Theunuo emphasised the party’s focus on unity and secularism and expressed a strong commitment to rebuilding the Congress in Nagaland.
NPCC president Jamir said that the Congress strategy for 2028 assembly polls is to remain a people-centric party, free from the power games that have marred other political groups.
The aim is to focus on community service, human resources, and grassroots-level engagement to build a better future for Nagaland, Jamir asserted. (PTI)
