Dimapur, July 8 (EMN): The Ao Senso Telongjem Dimapur (ASTD) has nullified the directive issued to the organisation by the Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) to withdraw its letter served to one of its bonafide members, T Bangerloba Ao, the incumbent president of NCD, restraining his co-operation vis versa non co-operation with ASTD.
“T Bangerloba Ao inter alia being a bonafide member of Ao community in Dimapur is very much within the ambit of Ao’s social and customary parameter in so far as the activities of one individual’s as well as social obligation and responsibilities are concerned, that are absolutely governed by its inherent customary practices and usages of Ao’s community where neither been nor shall ever be dictated nor suppressed by any other outside force, society, group or organisation in exercising or executing its own legitimate customary practices for those who do not comply with the direction or defying the order so issued from its existing apex body/union in or particular jurisdiction for the time being in force,” stated a press statement issued on Wednesday.
“And as much as the NCD has no locus standi to issue such impugned letter to ASTD, whereby directed and dictated the ASTD to revoke/withdraw the letter Dtd. 03/07/2020 is wholly unfounded, not tenable being nullified. It is categorically stated that, initially the ASTD has informed T Bangerloba Ao for a meeting on 25th Feb 2020 with ASTD office bearers along with the president of all six ranges from Ao community as has been empowered, which he did not complied with the said meeting without any tangible reason,” read the statement.
ASTD stated that Bangerloba was informed of the decision taken in a meeting held on June 22 with all civil society of Ao community based in Dimapur and thereby requested him to settle the present NCD issue within a stipulated time. However, it said he neither made any move nor complied with the decisions of ASTD considering the overrun of the stipulated period and unconstitutional excessive of incumbent NCD tenure.
As such, the ASTD held its emergency meeting on June 29 and considering his non-compliance of directives and wishes of the organisation, the house unanimously resolved to issue non-cooperation with Bangerloba from the ASTD without any specific time frame under its jurisdiction, it stated.
‘Further, the ASTD on July 1 served a letter to him on his personal capacity and not as president of NCD, and hence the letter served upon Bangerloba has very much absolute and every force to stand so far as Ao customary practices are concerned,’ it added.