Urges Cabinet Sub-Committee to take all stakeholders on board and three tribe Hohos to reconsider decision
Dimapur, September 28: In the wake of dissociation of Ao Senden, Sumi Hoho and Lotha Hoho from it on the issue of granting of indigenous Naga tribe status to Rongmei community by the Government of Nagaland, the Naga Hoho in its Federal Assembly held in Kohima today clarified its position on the issue.
Speaker of Federal Assembly Kenysung Tep and assembly secretary K.Elu Ndang, in a press statement listing out the resolutions after the assembly, said keeping in view the seriousness of the issue and the dissociation of some federating units from Naga Hoho, the Federal Assembly resolved to set up an Empowered Committee on Goodwill Mission comprising 11 members to pursue the matter with the three tribe Hohos.
The Naga Hoho has appealed to the Cabinet Sub-Committee, constituted by the State Government on September 26 to study all aspects of the issue, to take all stakeholders on board and make all out effort to arrive at a consensus amongst the Naga society and also review the status of the other indigenous inhabitants of the State.
It described the decision of the State Government, which, it said, is the only competent authority to take decisions on the matter, to constitute the Cabinet Sub-Committee as a welcome development. It believed that the State Government has arrived at this decision fully recognising the recent discontentment expressed by certain Naga tribes on its decision to grant indigenous Naga tribe status to Rongmei community. The Naga Hoho further appealed to the three Naga tribe Hohos to reconsider their decision to withdraw from it and actively participate in all its activities in the larger interest of the Naga Society.
Listing out its approach on the issue, the statement said the Naga Hoho vide its letter No. NH/Corr/2008-11, dated 22.9.08 conveyed the unanimous and unambiguous views of its Presidential Council held on September 5, 2008 in favour of granting of indigenous inhabitant status to Rongmei community as per Government Notification No. AR-8/76 Dated Kohima the 28th April1977. It also clarified that it had conveyed its decision only after the Government of Nagaland approached it to seek its opinion on the matter vide letter No.GAB-10/1/77 (Pt) dated 25th July, 2008.
The press statement also mentioned that the Naga Hoho opined in the same letter that the State Government may exercise utmost care and deal with the matter with all seriousness so as to avoid any communal misgivings,.
“Subsequently, on the decision of the State Government to grant Indigenous Tribe status to the Rongmei Community in 2012, complaints were raised from Zeliang Peoples’ Organization (ZPO), who eventually took the matter to the court and the matter remained sub-judice,” the Naga Hoho pointed out.
The Federal Assembly also solemnly pledged to “commit and rededicate ourselves to strengthen the sanctity of Naga Hoho against all forms of internal and external elements”.
Municipal Act 2001
The house viewed that the Municipal Act 2001 is defective and therefore, it was resolved that the Act must be amended at the earliest. Further, the Naga Hoho has “endorsed” the matter to its Executive Council for further decision.
