P. Chuba passes away; poll adjourned in Tsg-I

Photo : Late P. Chuba Chang (1965-2013)

Three-time elected member of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and former Minister education  P. Chuba Chang passed away after a prolonged illness at 6 a.m. Friday at the Naga Hospital Kohima. Late P. Chuba was 48 years(born on April 29,1965). He leaves behind  his wife, one son and one daughter.

Late P. Chuba was the sitting Congress MLA of 53 Tuensang Sadar-I assembly constituency which he won in 1998 and 2003 as independent candidate and 2008 as Congress candidate.

Late P. Chuba was locked in a triangular contest with Naga Peoples front candidate L. Elam Chang and Independent candidate Toyang Changkong Chang for the 53 Tuensang Sadar-I Constituency.

FUNERAL :
 The funeral service for late P. Chuba Chang will be held Saturday at the local ground Tuensang at 1 p.m. after the body arrives by helicopter.T he body will be received at the helipad and taken to the family home where  people from across the district and state will pay homage.

CONDOLENCES :
 All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi has condoled the death of Congress MLA P. Chuba Chang, who passed away Friday following brief illness.

In her condolence message to wife of late P. Chuba Chang, Sonia said “I am shocked and saddened to learn of the untimely demise of your husband Shri P.Chuba Chang.

At this time of grief I wanted you to know that I share your pain. I know how devastating it is to lose one’s husband suddenly, in the prime of his life, and for children to lose their father.”

Stating that P. Chuba Chang was a loyal and valued member of the Congress party, Sonia said his passing away left a void that would be hard to fill.

“On behalf of the party and on my own behalf I convey my sincere condolences and feelings of empathy and support to you and other members of your family,” said Gandhi.

Nagaland governor Nikhil Kumar has expressed sorrow on learning of the demise of late P. Chuba Chang.


In a condolence message to Mrs Ajungla Chang, the Governor described late Chuba as a prominent public figure whose contributions to the state assembly as MLA and minster would be remembered.

Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president S. I. Jamir expressed deep shock and condolences to the bereaved family members.

He said late P. Chuba Chang’s demise has created a vacuum for the Congress and Nagas in general. He also prayed that God grant peace and strength to the family members to bear the sorrow.

CLP leader Tokheho Yepthomi, on behalf of the Congress legislators has expressed sadness at the demise of P. Chuba Chang MLA of the 11th Nagaland Assembly.

In a condolence message, Tokheho described late Chuba as a “sincere and dedicated leader” and one who was upright and principled and conveyed deepest condolences to the bereaved family members of late P. Chuba Chang.

"POLL  POSTPONED"
Meanwhile the DC Tuensang and Returing Officer T. Mhabemo Yanthan has announced adjournment of the poll scheduled for February 23  in pursuance  of section 52 ( c)  of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The polling for 53 Tuensang Sadar-I will be rescheduled sometime in the first week of March,2013, Election department sources said.

"PUMPS CLOSURE"
Meanwhile, as a mark of respect to late  P. Chuba Chang ,all petroleum retail outlets in Dimapur district, will remain closed from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday. This was stated by President Dimapur District Petroleum Dealer’s Association Mr Hokhuli Sema. She also conveyed heartfelt sympathies to Mrs Chuba and the children.

Look East, say six Tribes

In the first ten years that elections were held in Nagaland, they were not allowed to vote, but this time the people living in the four eastern districts of the State may well hold the key to power.

The districts of Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire and Longleng account for 20 seats, a third of the 60-member Assembly. Inhabited by six major Naga tribes — the Konyaks, the Phoms, the Changs, the Khiamniungans, the Yimchungrus and the Sangtams — the region is also a part of India’s border with Myanmar.

While the integration of Naga areas in other states such as Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is believed to be a major stumbling block in the peace talks between the Centre and the insurgents of National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muhivah), there has been a demand in the four eastern districts to carve out a separate State.

“For 59 years we have been neglected and there has been no development in our areas. Whether it is education, health or even road connectivity – we lag far behind the other areas in Nagaland,” Pongom, president of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), the organisation that is spearheading the agitation for a separate State of ‘Frontier Nagaland’ told The Hindu over telephone.

Mr. Pongom also says that the six Naga tribes of eastern Nagaland are discriminated against. “These six tribes make up about 45 per cent of the total population, but we hardly find more than 4-5 per cent of jobs in the State government held by people from these tribes,” he said.

In the coming elections the ENPO wants to remain neutral, but the very fact that the leadership has expressed satisfaction with the progress of talks with the Centre on the one hand while resisting the inclusion of the Naga People’s Front (NPF)-led State government is indicative of the mood.

In 2008, the two most important parties in the state — the ruling NPF and the Congress — had won eight seats each. The BJP and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won a seat apiece with the other two going to independents.

The Congress, which prides itself on being “the architect of the unity” that was created when the region was merged with the Naga Hills district, has in its election manifesto promised a “Special Blue-print Economic Development Plan” as well as the setting up of a separate Mini Secretariat in the area.

Former Chief Minister S. C. Jamir accuses Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio of “neglecting his family while wooing outsiders” referring to the NPF’s demand on integration of all Naga inhabited areas in other States while trouble was brewing here .

Neiphiu Rio predicts absolute majority for NPF party

Naga Peoples Front (NPF) star campaigner and chief minister Neiphiu Rio Friday said his party would win absolute majority in the ensuing state assembly election slated for February 23 and asked the people to vote for NPF candidates.
 
Addressing an election meeting at Tuensang local ground, Rio also alleged that the Congress has demeaned Naga political issue by stating that it would bring political solution if voted back to power. He asserted that the Naga political issue has been the top most priority of NPF.

Rio pointed out that the current peace process has been going on for 16 years and the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has been at the helm for nine years.  

He also regretted that in fifty years of Nagaland’s statehood, Congress and the Central government have failed to give any national or regional institutes to Nagaland and now they were offering laptops to the youth. Rio further assured the people that NPF would develop Tuensang town if voted to power and asked the people to choose the best for future generation. 

Also speaking at the rally, Chingwang Konyak, former Congress member, reiterated that there was disunity in the Congress and he had decided to join NPF for strengthening the society.  All the NPF candidates of Tuensang district from seven constituencies attended the rally. 

Mon District: 
Earlier, addressing another election rally near NST station at Mon Town, Rio accused the state Congress leaders of being controlled by the high command which had “no idea of the ground realities” of the state and the culture and history of the Nagas.

Pointing out that it was during the NPF rule that the logo in the letter head of all government officials was changed from lion head to Mithun and the issues of Nagas of Myanmar also got acknowledged, Rio said NPF was the only party which could “protect, preserve and promote” identity, history and culture of the Nagas.

Slamming AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi, Rio said “Rahul might have said sweet and nice things about Nagas and that the Congress would bring honorable and acceptable solution to the Naga issue, nevertheless it was his grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru who divided the Nagas.”

The rally was attended by all the NPF candidates of Mon district. Apart from party dignitaries, around 2000 public attended the rally.

ENPO clean election campaign on Feb 5

The ENPO along with the six tribal bodies of Eastern Nagaland viz CKS, KU, KTC, PPC, USLB and YTC will be organising ‘common platform cum clean election’ campaign  in the four district headquarter of Tuensang, Mon, Longleng and Kiphire on February 5. All the intending candidates, council chairman, head gaonboras, VDB secretaries and prominent political leaders, also federating units-ENSF and ENPO are requested to assemble in their respective district headquarters to participate in the programme without fail. ENPO president P Pongom in a press release had requested the tribal presidents to ensure especially the presence of all intending candidates and all the necessary arrangement to host the function.