NPP to review alliance with BJP shortly

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Sep 25 : Asserting that there is no obligation for the National People's Party (NPP) to endorse every deci-sion taken by the BJP simply because of being an ally in forming the Government, former Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar has said that the party (NPP) will soon decide whether to stay with or walk away from the  coalition Government by convening a key meeting soon.
Addressing the media at Naoremthong today, National vice president of NPP Joykumar continued that the failure of the Government to control the protracted violence in Manipur has com- pelled the NPP to review  its position in the Government.
Saying that NPP has been monitoring the situation in Manipur, he added that the situation seems to be worsening with no end in sight and the same has taken a heavy toll on the people.
Joykumar conveyed that a meeting of NPP was convened at Shillong on September 21 last with party president Conrad K Sangma in the chair and held discussion on the Manipur issue .
Some of the party MLAs, however, didn't attend the meeting they are camping at New Delhi while NPP State president N Kayisii had health issues, he added.
Saying that the party leaders decided to reconsider NPP's alliance with BJP if the Centre and the State Government fail to work out a solution to the ongoing crisis at the earliest, Joykumar maintained that there is a stark difference in the ideologies of BJP and NPP.
Many civil society organisations have questioned the stand of  NPP in the ongoing crisis and the same has been apprised to the NPP National president, Joykumar informed.
Continuing that the NPP will soon decide whether to continue supporting the Government or withdraw its support, possibly this week itself by convening a meeting of the party executive members, the former Deputy Chief  Minister said that the NPP may walk away from the coalition Government if the meeting decided to.
Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong will also attend the meeting while the resolution taken by the executive members will be forwarded to Conrad K Sangma, Joykumar added.
Saying that NPP MLAs may leave the party if they want to stay with the BJP even after the meeting of NPP executive members resolve to part ways with the Government, Joykumar said that there is no obligation for the NPP to support every decision taken by the BJP.
The Government must use all the available Central and State forces to restore normalcy in Manipur, he said and added that BJP ,unfortunately, is not showing commitment to end the violence .
Maintaining that the Government is unable to control law and order in the hill districts where Kuki militants are highly active, Joykumar asked if the recent order issued by the Chief Minister to surrender illegal weapons within 15 days covers hill districts too.
He asked if the State police can be sent to the hill districts to carry out search operations after the expiry of the 15 days ultimatum. Joykumar went on to ask if the Government is going to remove Assam Rifles from Manipur as people no longer trust them. Has the Government taken up any initiative to return the displaced people to their original places and how long will they be kept at the relief camps, he asked further.
Maintaining that  the leaders of the warring communities need to hold dialogue to end the violence, Joykumar claimed that the Government hasn't taken up any initiative for the parties  in conflict to sit across the table and hold discussion on the issue .
The NPP National vice president said that the Central and State security forces must be given full authority to  protect the lives of Meeteis and their properties from the onslaught of Kuki militants if the Government wants the  Meeteis at the frontline to surrender arms. It would be very wrong and dangerous if the Government uses brute force to disarm the village volunteers without any alternative arrangement as foothills and peripheral areas of the valley districts are still a soft target for the Kuki militants, he cautioned.
Joykumar also said that the Government needs to admit if they  couldn't control the protracted violence in Manipur.
People have been misled that it is only the Biren Singh-led Government which can protect the Meeteis, the NPP leader rued and said that many more will emerge to safeguard the State's integrity and the ethnic group even if there is no BJP Government in the State.