NNN
IMPHAL, OCTOBER 28
The Rongmei Naga Council, Manipur (RNCM) has said on Tuesday that Rongmei people from Assam and Manipur are proud of the ‘right decision and free and fair action’ of the Nagaland Government for granting the status of indigenous tribe to the Rongmeis living in that state, but added that it is to point out that many Rongmei people of Nagaland are left out from the list, dividing them into indigenous and non-indigenous groups, which the RNCM termed as ‘very unfortunate’.
RNCM president Thuankabui Pamei and general secretary Achong Gangmei in a joint press statement said it is still ‘our earnest appeal’ to the Government of Nagaland to grant the indigenous tribe status to all the Rongmeis of Nagaland.
The Rongmei tribe is one of the Scheduled Tribes included in the Scheduled Tribes List of the Constitution of India and the status of the Scheduled Tribe being granted to the Rongmeis is a Constitutional entitlement anywhere within the territories of India, the press statement of RNCM said.
It also said the Nagaland Government should make efforts to include all the Rongmeis in the Scheduled Tribe List of that state. “In case the Government of Nagaland is willing to grant the status of indigenous tribe to all the Rongmei population in that state then such policies will ensure a fair and impartial administration in all matters,” the RNCM also stated.
While considering the current state of affairs in Nagaland concerning grant of indigenous status to the Rongmeis and also in view of the ‘continuing issues repugnant to certain Naga communities which are attempting to dislodge and discredit the Rongmeis in that state’, RNCM said it is impelled to make this appeal to the Naga Tribe Council of Nagaland (NTC) to use its good offices to let the people restrain and refrain from creating further misunderstanding and adverse social environments that may aggravate the situation and jeopardise the common interest and unity among the sister tribes and encourage division within the Naga family.
In this regard, it is strange and absurd to have found member-tribes of the Tenymie being party to the opposing groups, it alleged and said RNCM appeals to them to extend help and brotherly cooperation to the Rongmeis living in Nagaland to obtain a full status of indigenous tribe of that state covering all the Rongmei citizens.
The settlement of Rongmeis in Nagaland is traced back to 1920s under the British period and the Rongmeis were first settlers of Naga Bazar of Kohima and they called it Kaithulong village, RNCM claimed and mentioned that in Dimapur, a village called Ragailong was set up in 1937 and this was the first Rongmei village there. RNCM also claimed that the second Rongmei village in Dimapur was called Tangnajeilong established by one Mubipou in his own land in 1942, which was later known as Dhobinala and the outsiders called it Kabui Bosti.
In Jalukie area of Peren district in Nagaland, mass migration took place in the last part of 1965 and early 1966 from Manipur, Assam and some Rongmeis from Dimapur in response to the appeal dated 18-10-1965 served by the Zeliangrong Tribal Council, Nagaland for settlement in the valley, the statement said and added that the entire migrants jointly settled and started establishing villages from January 1966 with Mhainamtsi, Samziuram and New Jalukie were the first three villages to be set up.
RNCM then said in Manipur, there are some negligible population of Angami and Sema and insisted that neither the Nagas nor the other communities of the state are complaining against them, and that all are living together happily as good brothers.
“Therefore, it is RNCM’s humble and earnest appeal to all concerned to stop forthwith all sorts of complaint over the matter regarding granting indigenous tribe status to the Rongmeis”, the statement said, adding ‘let us rebuild our love, mutual trust, understanding and confidence of our brotherhood.’
