JCC TO DECIDE BANDH AFTER CABINET MEETING ON JAN 27
Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on Wednesday informed that the committee has decided to defer the state-wide indefinite bandh which was reportedly scheduled to be held on January 27 after chief minister T.R. Zeliang requested the committee to wait till January 27. This was conveyed to the JCC members when they met Zeliang at Kohima on Wednesday.
Chief minister also informed the members that since all the cabinet ministers were out of Kohima to attend Republic Day celebrations, the cabinet meeting would be held only after January 26.
In this regard, JCC has decided not to go ahead with the indefinite bandh from January 27 but wait for the outcome of the cabinet meeting. A JCC member told Nagaland Post that chief minister informed them that the cabinet would be meeting on January 27 to take the call on whether to go ahead with the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) election or not.
However, JCC warned that it will go ahead with the indefinite bandh starting from January 28, if the outcome of the meeting was not in their favour.
Further, the committee also reiterated its appeal on the candidates to pull out of the fray by listening to the voices of the people. Here, JCC said that once when all the candidates pulled out then there would be no election and bandh.
Meanwhile, at the consultative meeting convened by JCC at Dimapur on January 25, the house formed a youth organization under the banner Dimapur Naga Youth Organization. The meeting was attened by all the tribal bodies.
JCC clarifies
JCC has issued a clarification on Article 371A in response to statements by minister of school education & SCERT Yitachu and subsequently the chief minister T.R. Zeliang and other functionaries who maintained that holding elections to ULBs was not against the customs, traditions and usages of Nagas.
On Yitachu’s contention that under the constitution of India provisions of Article 371A can be implemented by the 1. central government- the president, council of ministers both houses of parliament and Supreme Court with all their machinery in Part V of the constitution; 2. the state of Nagaland- governor, state assembly, council of ministers and high court with all its machinery in Part VI of the constitution and panchayats which form Part IX of the constitution from Article 243 to 243-O and by virtue of Article 243 ‘M’(2)(a) of the state does not apply but after enactment of the Nagaland Village Area and Regional Council At 1972, the village councils are constitutionally established authority at the local self government level to implement and enforce Article 371A.
4. Municipalities which forms Part IXA of the constitution from Article 243-P to Article 243-ZG and by the Municipal and Town Council Act 2001 with 33% women reservation(amended 2016) is constitutionally established authority in urban areas which fulfil criteria as municipal and town council; 5.cooperative societies which form Part IX 13 of the constitution .
JCC reiterated that the contention of Yitachu was in contravention of the provisions as incorporated in the 16 Point Agreement at serial 8 wherein the local self government- where each tribe through the (a)village council (b) Range council and (c) Tribal council will be law making and administrative bodies to deal with matters concerning respective tribes and areas.
Since Nagaland is 100% tribal and where respective tribes follow and practice their own customs and traditions since time immemorial, unlike in mainland India, JCC pointed out that there has been no practice of discrimination on the ground of sex as females were considered equal in Naga society. It said that since according to customs and traditions, males took part in decision making, this practice cannot be changed nor be distorted for the sake of fund that was pending for municipalities.
In view of 33% women reservation infringing on the customary practice, JCC said it objects to civic poll under the present context and therefore demands that the state government invite all tribe hohos and apex civil societies to hammer out a solution as per customary and traditional practices at a consultative meeting and in the interest of women.
JCC asked the government not to curb public interest for the sake of money and not to project holding of civic polls as being in the interest of the people. JCC also noted that advisor urban development had disclosed that more than Rs.200 crore was kept idle in the ministry of urban development of Nagaland.
JCC warned that in the event the government turned a deaf ear to its appeals for deferment of polls, the government will be held responsible for any eventualities.