Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee, key tribes excluded from Foothills Road Project consultative meeting

DIMAPUR — Multiple tribal Hohos and community leaders have expressed deep disappointment over the exclusion of key tribal representatives and the Nagaland Foothills Road Coordination Committee (NFHRCC) from the upcoming meeting on the Foothills Road Project, scheduled for August 7 at the Chief Minister’s Residential Complex.

In a joint statement, tribal organisations including Ao Senden (Mokokchung), Ao Senso Telongjem (Dimapur), Konyak Union (Dimapur), Kuki INPI (Nagaland), Northern Sumi Community (Dimapur), Lotha Hoho (Wokha), Phom People’s Union (Dimapur), and Zeliang People’s Organisation (Dimapur) conveyed their solidarity with the leaders of the Chang, Khiamnuingan, Sangtam, Yimkhiung, Tikhir and Rengma tribes—who have reportedly not been invited to the consultative meeting.

They said that it is very painful that those who are selflessly contributing towards the progress and development of the state are being excluded from the meeting, which is scheduled to discuss the project in which they have already invested almost 13 years with tears and sweat. They added that the Foothills Road Project belongs to the entire Naga family, irrespective of landowners or otherwise.

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The statement read that, therefore, within the Naga family, everyone is an owner, and no one is an outsider in the project. No one tribe can claim any superiority or supremacy over the project.

Stating that the Nagaland Foothills Road was conceptualised by the NRHRCC in 2013 and that, since then, despite many challenges and atrocities, the committee has stood steadfast to date, the organisations lamented that instead of appreciation and encouragement, resorting to a pick-and-choose policy will certainly damage the Naga family, and eventually the historic project will face an ugly consequence.

It said that the government will come and go, but the Foothills Road will remain, and the contribution made by the Naga leaders towards the historic project cannot be erased.

Mentioning that the state government is running under an opposition-less government where everyone is equal and there is no opposition, but as per the meeting circular dated August 1, only 15 MLAs are invited. They questioned what about the remaining 45 MLAs who represent the Naga public, as they have an equal right to share their opinion regarding the Nagaland Foothills Road Project.

They went on to say that it is also utterly surprising to note that NFHRCC, which had conceptualised the project and has relentlessly shouldered the historic project against all odds for almost 13 years, has been repeatedly undermined and sidelined by the government, which is very unfortunate and unbecoming.

It was stated that on April 30 too, all Nagaland apex tribal hohos and all 60 MLAs were invited except the NFHRCC. However, some public-spirited organisations expressed their displeasure over the non-inclusion of the NFHRCC in the said meeting, and as a result, the proposed consultative meeting was postponed. Now, once again, the meeting has been convened for the same agenda, but the invitees have been dramatically reduced.

While lauding the Chang, Khiamnuingan, Sangtam, Yimkhiung, Tikhir, and Rengma tribes for their selfless contribution towards the Foothills Road Project, the organisation said that, at the same time, they equally share their pain and agony at this time of despair.