Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 2 (EMN): The Eastern Sumi Hoho (ESH), representing the native Sumi inhabitants of Tuensang and Kiphire districts of Nagaland, has sought the intervention of Governor RN Ravi in regards to what it stated was exclusion of Sumi tribe vis-a-vis demand of ‘Frontier Nagaland’ by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation.
The ESH officials submitted a memorandum to the governor on Monday. According to the ESH, the very existence of the Sumi inhabitants of eastern Nagaland is being threatened as a result of the demand for ‘Frontier Nagaland’ and the recent government of India’s formal invitation to ENPO for talks.
“Your Excellency may kindly note that the ENPO has been projecting the proposed ‘Frontier Nagaland’ as belonging only to the six tribes comprising Sangtam, Yimchunger, Chang, Phom, Khiamniungan and Konyak while mischievously (sic) excluding Sumi tribe, which is one of the major tribes in Kiphire district with Sangtam and Yimchunger,” read the memorandum.
It has requested the governor to convey to the government of India that Sumi tribe is one of the major native tribes of eastern Nagaland and should be included in the proposed ‘Frontier Nagaland’ along with other stakeholder tribes; or exclude the Sumi ancestral land with its topography, demography, population census from ‘Frontier Nagaland’ and initiate reorganisation of the areas inhabited by Sumi tribe in eastern Nagaland, in consultation with and concurrence of, the ESH; or involve the ESH along with ENPO in all talks concerning ‘Frontier Nagaland’.
Failure to do so, it stated, would force the ESH to oppose the ‘Frontier Nagaland’ demand by ENPO, “as it is directly threatening the very existence of Sumi tribe and their political, social, historical and all other legitimate rights.”
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