Dimapur, Aug. 4 (EMN): The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) has asserted again its stand that the Nagaland government verify the documents of ‘doubtful candidates (non-indigenous) through the electoral voters list of published on 5/12/1963’ with regard to the selection of candidates for MBBS, BDS, and other professional courses.
A press release from the union on Saturday appealed to ‘all concerned’ to understand the situation and cooperate accordingly ‘as the genuine indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland cannot afford to lose any seats allotted to Nagaland state.’
“It is to be noted that issuing indigenous and ST certificates without proper verification is not justified in any manner. It is clearly mentioned in the latest prescribed format of indigenous inhabitant certificate issued by the P& AR department, that the concerned family has been entered in the electoral roll published on 5/12/1963 and has been paying house tax prior to 1963 and the family has acquired property and ‘patta’ prior to 1963. Whereas during the course of verification carried out by the concerned districts administration, some of the doubtful candidates could not be authenticated as indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland.
“And therefore there is no logical end to accept them as Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland unless the concerned has fulfilled all the above mentioned criteria. The concerned doubtful candidates may prove themselves genuine Indigenous inhabitant by producing relevant documents,” the press release read.
It warned that anyone claiming seats from Nagaland quota ‘with fake documents shall be responsible for any kind of misunderstandings or confrontations in future.’
The ANCSU, it stated, ‘in good faith and good intention’ will not let any genuine indigenous inhabitant be ‘victimised and their future jeopardised.’ It stated that the state government should take the matter seriously and not allot seats to “candidates not enrolled in 1963 electoral roll (parents/grandparents should be enrolled in E-Roll published on 1963).”
The union has appealed to the government of Nagaland to ‘initiate stern action on those erring officials issuing ST and indigenous inhabitant certificate without proper verification of documents.’ According to the ANCSU, the state government was yet to ensure that the district administrations follow the office memorandum of the government of Nagaland, P&AR department dated Oct. 4 1995.
