'Avoid stigmatization against Returnees' : NPF

Kohima, May 28th 2020

The Naga People’s Front (NPF) expressed concern over the increase of COVID-19 positive cases in Nagaland during the past few days. The Party expressed its sincere solidarity to the Frontline workers and encourage to all those who are at the forefront to take up the challenges ahead of us with zeal and determination.

This is a time to prove your mettle as professionals hence, the frontline workers especially the health workers need to re-dedicate yourself for the sake of our brothers and sisters who are in dire need of your service at this trying times. The NPF invoke the conscience of each and every citizens of Nagaland to be magnanimous and sensitive in our attitude while rendering our opinion on the stranded Returnees/Citizens.

“If not in our house where do we send our children”, hence it would be in the fitness of thing if we can be little more sensitive while sharing our thoughts and handling the stranded Returnees/citizens. We all are aware that they have gone through various hardships including racial discriminations in some cities hence, we should all try to create an environment that is conducive for them to ease down their tension and worries.

Naga society by nature, is known to be a caring society since time immemorial and with the advent of Christianity the present generation is expected to be more caring than our forefathers therefore, it should be our collective endeavour to be more accommodative both in letter and spirit while we face this kind of pandemic situation. The Party urge the general public to avoid stigmatization against those Returnees and stranded citizens as social stigmatization against them will only invite more social unrest in our society.

Meanwhile, The NPF question the motive of the PDA Government in sending the Returnees from other States/cities to Tuensang when the Govt. is fully aware that the test results are still awaited. This has created fear and panic in the minds of the co-passengers including the general public. This is an utter negligence on the part of the present PDA Government and they must take full responsibility instead of justifying it as communication gap.

The Govt. of the day must realized that the citizens of Nagaland cannot be taken for a ride anymore and no amount of justification and explanation would convince the intelligentsia of the citizens of Nagaland since it is an act of intentionally endangering thousands of lives of those of our citizens who are unfortunately in-accessible to modern medical facilities.

The sudden announcement of the PDA Govt. to install BSL-2 only after the result of one of the Returnees who were deported to Tuensang tested Positive is nothing but a politics of appeasement which clearly reflects poor governance and very, very cheap politics on the part of the PDA Government. Now the Govt. have announced the installation of BSL-2 at Tuensang just yesterday but the question is how long it will take to be operational when the BSL-2 installed at Dimapur has not even become functional even after so many days of its announcement.

Another question the Govt. need to answer is how reliable is the BSL machines. The Govt. of the day ought to assure its citizens the credentials of the BSL manufacturers and company that deals with such medical equipment’s.

The Govt. of the day is also beholden to ensure that such a high-tech BSL machines ought to be manned by well qualified trained professionals so that the safety of the health workers is also ensured and the result of COVID-19 test conducted are also accurate without any iota of doubt.

The NPF also question the intention of the Government to send all COVID-19 positive cases to their respective districts. What is the logic behind such decisions when the Govt. is yet to provide medical facilities and safety equipment’s to the various district hospitals?

Why the PDA Govt. is trying to abdicate its responsibilities to give proper care and treatment to the positive cases from a place/location where proper medical facilities are readily available? The Govt. of the day should not play with the lives of its citizens who have voted them to be in power.

The PDA Government has miserable mishandle the present Pandemic from day one with false claim of preparedness. The NPF holds the view that nothing is on the ground which is a total contrast to what the Govt. have been claiming as fully prepared. The acid test of the present Govt. began when the stranded citizens started arriving home.

The so-called ‘fully prepared’ as claimed by the PDA Govt. have been fully exposed with the Tuensang case which has further vindicated the observation and opinion of the NPF. The poor preparedness of the PDA govt. coupled with ineffective way of tackling the present pandemic by the PDA Govt. have probably prompted the Kohima Village Council to go to the extent of even asking the Govt. to evacuate all returnees to their respective districts.

The views expressed by the Kohima Village Council is infact a direct reflection of how unprepared the PDA govt. is in tackling the present pandemic. However, it has also drawn a new line of debate in tackling the present pandemic because it has been further polarized on tribal lines which is indeed not healthy at all if our society has to grow as one people.

The Govt. of the day has to be blamed for compelling a village council or an organizations to expressed such extreme opinion for their inefficiency and insincerity in tackling the present pandemic. The NPF reiterates that the longer this PDA Government continues to stay in power the more hardship it would be for the citizens of Nagaland hence this present Govt. must go and pave way for an alternative arrangement.

Issued by:
Press Bureau
Naga People's Front,
Central Headquarters,
Kohima: Nagaland