No, we want Cabinet berth for community—Lotha Hoho

Dimapur, Dec. 20 (EMN): A visibly upset Lotha Hoho has repeated its demand to the Nagaland government to instate a cabinet minister to represent the Lotha community. The organisation issued a press statement on Wed. stating that the tribe had been ‘insulted.’ “The Lotha Hoho, in continuation of its earlier demand...for a Lotha minister continues to insist for a cabinet berth for a Lotha MLA. The LH (Lotha Hoho) will not hesitate to say that in 54 years of Nagaland statehood, it is this time that the Lotha tribe is insulted, by excluding (sic) from the ministry,” the organisation said. The Lotha Hoho noted that “some Lotha MLAs may have been appointed” as advisers but the organisation “is not satisfied with adviser posts, but demands a cabinet berth.” The group took on the reported statement of Chief Minister TR Zeliang’s that “ministry formation was decided by the elected members and the party. Therefore when any one member was dropped or expelled from the party tribal hoho should not get involved.” The Lotha Hoho retorted: “Why tribal hohos should not say anything! The MLAs represent the people and the tribal hohos. Is not the government a people’s govt?” Here, the organisation declared that the government having been elected by the people for the welfare of the people, elected members ‘should not become dictators but listen to the people.’ The organisation declared that the demand was not for any particular MLA but a representative of the Lotha tribe as a whole. “The vacancy due to dropping of someone must be filled by another Lotha MLA. The LH would strongly content that the CM cannot compare an MLA with that of a church member.” Dropping an elected member, the press release argued, ‘amounts to exclusion of the people whom the MLA represents.’ ‘The chief minister or party leaders are also MLAs and all MLAs are basically of equal status as each represents a constituency,’ the organisation stated. ‘Any Lotha MLA is equal, in status, to Mr. TR Zeliang and must be considered as such since all of them are MLAs—people’s representatives.’ It added: “The LH will not give up its demand for a cabinet berth for a Lotha MLA.”