HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, Aug 10: The Rising People’s Party (RPP) demanded
that the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP)-BJP
coalition government in Nagaland convene a special session of
the state assembly at the earliest to pass resolutions to nullify
the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, and nib in the
bud the narrative of UCC in the state.
“Given the serious circumstance, any layman in Nagaland is
now well versed with the two issues such as the ramifications
such legislations have for the state if the state government
does not voice out our collective opposition at this juncture,”
the RPP said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the party, the people’s mandated NDPP-BJP
coalition should have the eagerness to protect the state from
any adverse agenda which seeks to render the constitutionally
protected Nagaland “impotent” with legislative measures such
as the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023,” or the
UCC, which if implemented, would render Article 371A in the
state inconsequential.
“Therefore, there is no excuse for the chief minister to make
loud proclamations that the state is already protected from the
adverse effects of The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill,
2023 or the UCC for that matter,” it said.
The party stressed that any government styling itself as a
regional party should be willing to protect the territorial
integrity of the state at any cost.
“However, till date the ugly sequence of surrenders to
majoritarian politics on quite a number of issues out of sheer
cowardice or fear of stoppage of central funds is non-
acceptable,” it said.
The party also sought to bring to the notice of the NDPP-BJP
coalition that the “staunchly patriotic and progressive Kerala
Legislative Assembly” has already passed a resolution opposing
the UCC, a first in the country.
It questioned whether the NDPP-BJP coalition can safeguard
the state in the face of the central government’s onslaught in
the form of UCC and the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill,
2023.
