Supongmeren Jamir, the only member of the Nagaland Lok Sabha, has advocated for regaining authority over the state’s resources in accordance with Article 371 of the constitution, which gives Nagaland unique rights over land and resources. During the 78th foundation day/senior consultative meeting of the Naga Students’ Federation, the MP voiced concern that resources from Nagaland were being used to benefit neighboring Assam, thus denying the state of its legitimate claims.
Instead of letting Nagaland’s resources go unused, he asked the NSF to think of ways to use them for the benefit of its citizens. Supongmeren Jamir, who emphasized the need of continuity in NSF leadership, urged the organization’s current leaders to build on their prior successes and have close relationships with former leaders in order to pursue shared goals. The MP also brought up the subject of exorbitant taxes levied by Naga political parties, which he said were impeding the growth of young businesspeople in the state. In order to create a more favorable atmosphere for new enterprises, Jamir recommended that the NSF start discussions with the Naga political parties about lowering tax burdens.
Jamir encouraged NSF to push for better student chances, pointing out that Nagaland’s higher education facilities were trailing behind. He emphasized the difficulties in hiring Naga people for postal positions, citing language limitations as the main hurdle. In order to increase state candidates’ competitiveness in central government hiring processes, the MP revealed that he had urged Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to accept Naga languages as a third language choice. Jamir also demanded that Nagaland’s Armed Forces Special Powers Act be repealed. He insisted that its reexamination was warranted by the current peace accords. In support of a more lenient position on AFSPA, the MP asked the NSF to keep putting pressure on the government.
