NPP is independent: Yumnam

SHILLONG, SEPT 11: Newly appointed National People’s Party (NPP) national youth president Ratika Yumnam today said the NPP is the most forward thinking, progressive and secular party and people should vote for it in the upcoming 2018 state elections.

“The party is also basically rooted in the North East and it knows the uniqueness of the region – I think that is the basic point that everybody should harp on voting for the NPP, which is from the soil itself,” Yumnam told reporters here.

The indigenous right activist from Manipur is on her first maiden visit to the state after being elected as national chief of the NPP. She is also schedule to meet the party youth leaders from the state.

Asked that the NPP have recently come under attack for its alliance with BJP which has been dubbed as a non-secular party, the national youth leader however said, “Well alliance is something else but NPP is still independent,” adding “Just because it has an alliance it doesn’t mean we (NPP) are dictated by some other parties. We are very much rooted and ground in our commitment to secularism.”

She went on to state that the NPP which believes in local perspective will become the strongest party in the upcoming elections.

Expressing her gratefulness to the party for its decision, Yumnam said while other political parties taking into account that mixing politics with human rights is a ‘bit tricky’ and do not want to go into that zone but the NPP has been forward thinking to involve somebody like her who works on human rights issue to be part of the team.

“One thing I like about NPP is because it believes in having informed decision and reaching out to grass root people. The fact NPP believes in empowering the youth and giving me this opportunity to take this forward is really heartening for me,” she said.

Spelling out the priorities for her new assignment, Yumnam said that she wanted to focus on issue related to unemployment which according to her is a very huge issue especially in places like the North East.

“One of the key things is that I want the party and everybody involved to be focused on is also skill development, which is based on our context and our special needs,” she said.

Another issue, she said that she is looking forward towards education, which is needed and set for the situation. “Not education per say but it should be quality education as per our own needs, talents and potentials,” she added.

By Our Reporter