Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has once again reiterated its appeal to the public to put their mind while voting for candidates in the upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) elections. Addressing media persons here on Wednesday, NSF vice-president Mteisuding said the federation had been time and again appealing the general public and making them aware of the issue. He reiterated that candidates for ULB polls should be Nagas by blood since the elected members would be in the decision-making bodies that would make policy decisions for all the Nagas. He said it would not be wise for a non-Naga to be making decisions that would affect the Nagas.
He said that the appeal by NSF was in the interest of the Nagas as a whole and hence the people should understand the importance of the appeal. Claiming that the federation had received reports of some non-locals trying to contest the ULB polls, Mteisuding remarked that it was for the public to carefully assess whether such candidates should be given a platform. He maintained that NSF had taken this step to ensure that indigenous Nagas were properly represented, which in turn would safeguard their culture and traditional practices.
NSF general secretary Chumben Khuvung, who was also present, asserted that the student body was there to protect the rights and interest of the indigenous Nagas.He said the NSF had in its previous press releases emphasised that the ULB polls should be solely reserved for the indigenous Nagas of Nagaland, Nagas by blood and not by adoption, and exclusion of women married to non-locals or their offspring.
He acknowledged that the Nagas were united as one despite being spread over four states and two countries without borders. However, he pointed out that the ULBs were reserved and confined only to the state of Nagaland. Hence, he said that Naga women married to Nagas from Manipur, Assam, Arunachal or Burma would not be applicable for this particular election.
He cited Naga customary laws, traditions and customs to claim that Naga women married to non locals were categorised as non-locals. Khuvung said the NSF had written to apex tribal hohos to scrutinise their respective candidates in order to protect the interest of the indigenous Naga people.
He asserted that the federation had full confidence in the apex tribal bodies that were the elderly figures, and possessed the wisdom and knowledge to differentiate and knew what was best for the Naga society.
NSF publicity & information secretary Pithungo Shitio informed the media that after the repeated appeals and advocacy of the federation, several individuals had refrained to contest the upcoming ULB polls in some districts.
He said there had been some confusion since there were certain provisions in the Municipal Act that allowed an indigenous person to contest. He, however, explained that the advocacy of the NSF was beyond the Municipal Act and it was solely to protect the Naga unity in Nagaland.
Answering to a query on the support the NSF had received, Shitio replied that all the federating units had extended their support to the appeal. He urged all the Nagas to ensure that only Naga representatives got elected in their respective jurisdictions.
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