By Nirendra Dev
Kohima, Dec 7 (UNI) Into a critical phase of his tenure as Chief Minister after making a comeback in the elections earlier this year, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has focused his administration on developmental works including improvement in roads, water and power projects.
He also said Tourism will be made a catalyst of change and development in the militancy-hit state gradually. However, there is a strong clamour for peace, Mr Rio added.
'People are getting frustrated. The talks are going on for 21 years. Nobody can say we are giving up hopes, that question does not arise. But peace is a prerequisite element,' Mr Rio told UNI in an interview here.
He said presence of multiple Naga militant groups is only adding to the entire complexity of the problem.
'There are extortions of money, some so called taxes,' he said.
It is in this context, he said the Centre has rightly pursued a determined approach to resolve the long-pending Naga political problem.
“The government of India wants unification of various Naga groups and rightly so. They say there would be ‘One Naga, One Problem and One Solution,” he said, adding that Nagas are also in favour of ‘inclusiveness’.
"The groups are coming together themselves also...six groups recently have come together,” he said.
“I short, I must say, Nagas want peace, they want development. They want good life. Our youth are educated, they want to be world citizens and want all kinds of opportunities. Why should we waste our time in quarreling and fighting among ourselves,” said Mr Rio, who has been Chief Minister for record 11 years at a stretch since 2003 to 2014 and then after a gap of few years is again back on the hot seat.
To a question whether job-oriented industries will be brought into the state, he admitted point blank: “Unless we resolve the political issue, people (investors and business magnates) are afraid to come”.
Moreover, there are land laws issue, he said. 'Non-Nagas cannot own immovable properties. We are trying to address the issue by allowing business and entrepreneurship in partnership with local stakeholders,” he said.
He said substantial progress was made on these lines during his time between 2003 and 2014. “But the time gap, when I was in Delhi as MP, things got distracted,” he said in a veiled attack on his onetime handpicked Chief Minister T R Zeliang.
"There was an atmosphere of mistrust between people and the state government. So development also suffered," he said.
Mr Rio said: “We must revive the old spirit and lay emphasis on the policy of Peace for Development and Development of Peace. This is how we have to work hard”.
Answering questions on the job avenues and the roadmap the youths should take, the Chief Minister said: “As unemployed ones, people should get ready to work hard. When you are unemployed, you should not look for a job, which is unavailable. You should work, you should take the job which is available”.
Mr Rio said: “What is our (Naga) economy? What do we produce - agriculture and horticulture. But that is not sufficient. Our economy is essentially salary economy. It is depending on the government for everything”.
“Be it salary, be it support for welfare measures and benefits for the poor. So we have become a consumer society. It has reached a saturation point. Look, just for Grade 3 Post jobs in government, about 12,000 people applied for a mere 40 vacancies. Even for police constables, graduates and postgraduates are applying,” he said.
In this context, he said those who are “really good” – use that as an entry point and after getting in and appointments and they give departmental exams and take leap forward.
He also mentioned that as Naga society gives equal treatment to women, the young girls are coming up in multiple fronts including in higher education, IT.
“Girls are putting up much better show. Boys have too much distractions; girls are more focused and doing well,” Mr Rio said.
UNI DEVN SV 1013