Nagaland GB Federation (NGBF) expressed serious concern over the integrity and unity of the Naga people in the aftermath of the three Naga tribal apex bodies (Lotha Hoho, Sema Hoho and Ao Senden) decision to dissociate from Naga Hoho over the Rongmei recognition issue.
At this critical juncture, NGBF president, Shaleem Konyak and secretary Shikuto Zalipu, in a press statement, fervently appealed to all the responsible to consider each other as “one family, try to create a room for negotiation for the greater interest of all Nagas and look into the issue on a multi-perspective outlook and with all fairness”.
They said that NGBF respected the stand of Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) and its constituent Hohos towards safeguarding the interest of the Nagas of Nagaland. “We also acknowledge and welcome the outlining note given by CNTC towards the possible approach to solve the current issue”, the statement read.
However, on the issue of recognition of the 1313 Rongmeis, the NGBF reiterated that those 1313 individuals of Rongmei community, who had settled prior to 1963 in the present state of Nagaland, or immediate descendents of these settlers, were indigenous to the state of Nagaland as per Govt. notification of 1977.
It may be mentioned that the Nagaland government had earlier clarified that Scheduled Tribe Certificate and Indigenous Tribe Certificate would be issued only to those members of the Rongmei tribe, who or whose ancestors were enumerated in the 1963 electoral roll of the state and whose names were enumerated in the report of the committee in May, 2012.
In this regard, the federation said denying the right provision to those genuine individual would be “unjust and also unlawful”.
The federation explained that the enumeration was carried out after a humongous task of records and fact finding exercises by various committees appointed by the state government. “This list is a controlled document of the state and district administration like those Sema and Angami communities who were recognized in Manipur and hence alteration or amendments to the list with those new individuals who do not qualify the criteria is out of question,” stated NGBF.
On whether Rongmeis could be considered as tribe or not, the federation said that “Rongmei” was recognized as a Tribe in the Scheduled list in Delhi, Manipur and Assam.
In the light of the above, the federation said it could be rightly inferred that those 1313 individual being members of “Rongmei” Tribe was a tribal community indigenous to the state of Nagaland.
To support its assertion, the federation recalled on the official report of “Henry Damant, political officer, Naga Hills, who in an official report of 1878-79 mentioned the existence of eighteen tribes but the census of 1891 recognized the following nine; viz. the Angami, the Ao, the Kabui, the Kuchcha, the Kezhama, the Lhota, the naked, the Rengma and the Sema”. (Before Rongmeis were known as Kabui)
“It is a historical fact that Rongmeis have migrated to their present homes in present day Nagaland many decades ago, they had permanently settled in Nagaland and do not have any tie with their ancestral lands”, the statement added. Due to this reason, it said those indigenous Rongmeis had been given the status of an Indigenous/individual/group of Nagaland like any other Naga individual till 1990.
Therefore, the federation appealed to the Nagas to take the noble decision on humanitarian ground and reconsider what best could be done for those 1313 “genuine” Rongmeis.
Lastly, NGBF clarified that it was not talking about the tribe, but was doing its “bit” for those 1313 brothers and sisters, who otherwise would be left abandoned.