Angami Public Organisation (APO) and Nagaland Senior Citizen Association (NSCA) have lauded the decision of the state government headed by chief minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu in heeding to the demand of various tribes in Nagaland by revoking the 2012 cabinet decision on recognition of Rongmei tribe as an indigenous tribe of Nagaland.
In line with other civil society organizations, APO on September 13, 2013 had also demanded revocation on State government order of 2012 which notified Rongmeis as an indigenous tribe of Nagaland, said APO vice president Pfukhrielie Peseyie and secretary information and publicity Neisakholie Ziephru in a statement.
However, “the previous Government has refused to listen to the voice of the people who voted them to power”. Therefore, APO while welcoming the cabinet decision hoped that the present government would also resolve other existing contentious issues at the earliest without any fear or favour.
NSCA: In a press note, NSCA president, Dr. S.I. Tushi Ao and general secretary S. Ghunakha Swu said the cabinet made a wise decision after taking the cognizance of the consequential hues and cries, discord and dissensions of the civil societies. Further, NSCA said that the maturity, vast experiences and statesmanship of the present cabinet under the seasoned leadership of the Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu had “settled the controversial and one sided action during the previous regime.”
NSCA further appealed to the government to review and re-examine the antecedents of those who have been granted the privileges and entitlement of indigenous status, permanently settled in Nagaland prior to December 1, 1963 based on the following facts that– nowhere in Nagaland, do Rongmeis possess their own inherited land within the state of Nagaland. NCSA said the fact that the department concerned responsible for election matter, nullified the claim of Rongmei tribe numbering 1313 that they were enumerated in the electoral list for the first election which was held in January 1964. It also noted the non-existence of the names of Rongmei tribe in the e-roll in the election department record under Kohima district since the inception of the state 1963.
NCSA said APO, which one of the major constituents with maximum population of the then district had agreed with the other tribe of Nagaland and urged the former CM to derecognize Rongmei as an indigenous recognized tribe of Nagaland way back in July 2014. It said that when a tribe from outside of Nagaland is accorded recognition as indigenous tribe of Nagaland, other contiguous inhabitants of Nagaland state would naturally demand the same privilege and refusal/denied will term as discrimination. APO having visualized this problem had opposed it at their meeting in April 2014.
Citing the biblical event during king Cyrus of Persia, NCSA said a group of people were denied as the tribe of Israel for failure to identity their father’s house or their genealogy whether they were of Israel. “And of the sons of the priest sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy but they were not found and therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled. The governor said that they should not eat of the most holy things till priest could consult,” it said.
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