Perspectives on Delimitation in Nagaland

The aspect of delimiting the state for the purpose of equitable development and administrative convenience of the state and of the nation should be viewed as upgrading the standard of civilisation of the nation at large. Citiens of the state are expected to welcome its introduction with positive and visionary anticipation as civilised people.

The formation of the state of Nagaland and its representative constituencies have anomalies and inequalities that has to be corrected and remedied for developing the state to higher and greater status. No amount of justification or reasons to delay or defer the act of delimitation commission in the state of Nagaland would do good or right for the citizens. Regret has no medicine. Right decision has power to develop society and humanity of which no power can stop or hinder. Naga society is built up of many mistakes and wrong decisions that has delayed and destroyed the progress of the society. Comparatively our Naga society is failing behind others in many respects. It is time for the Nagas to think thrice and learn to take right decision to grasp opportunities within reach. Big opportunity comes but once.

It would be another huge blunder for the Nagas to defer or deny the implementation of delimitation commission of India for the state of Nagaland. It is high time for the Nagas to exercise fair game and honestly deal before God and men. No corrupt or discriminative politics will last or do good to the Nagas. Naga leaders must be truthful, honest and magnanimous in taking and leading the Nagas forward to higher conscious living.

It is unfortunate and wonder-striking to learn that some Naga leaders and tribal bodies are projecting their demand for deferring the delimitation in the state of Nagaland in the pretext of Naga solution to take place. The logic sounds good like a drum but hallow vacuum inside is felt. The Naga people now must be realistic and pragmatic in deciding the fate and destiny of the society. The past lots of blunders must not be repeated or recycled to our present disadvantages. Nagas’ struggle is not for finding Naga solution from India. It is a quit Nagas’-land movement like quit India Movement. Many Nagas got stuck over this in confusion. India is developing Nagaland as Indian state. Naga political groups are shifting their national political ideologies from nationhood to statehood in the pool of Indian political approach to Nagas. Now many Nagas are mixing their politics with Indian political approaches and are trending towards finding Indian’s solution for the Nagas. It would be good and right for the Nagas to let India develop Nagaland detached from Nagas’ political issue.

The delimitation commission in India is a high power and independent body whose orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question or challenged in any court of law. It is the will of India to develop India at its best. The Delimitation commission or Boundary commission of India is an established Act by the GOI. The commission is to redraw the boundaries of representatives to state assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies based on a recent census. The number of seats will be changed to either increase or decrease in accordance with the census and population ratio proportion. The present delimitation of constituencies is made on the basis of 2001 census under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002. The Government of India under the chairpersonship of former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai has reconstituted the Delimitation Commission on 6 March 2020 for Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur as well as the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The commission stands valid till date.