Naga Hoho welcomes Asembly decision on Prohibition Act

EMN
KOHIMA, JULY 29

THE Naga Hoho has welcomed the business hours decision of the 5th session of the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly taken on July 25 wherein the members decided to convene a special session of the Assembly after consultation with the people of the State in regard to the Nagaland Total Liquor Prohibition (NLTP) Act, 1989.
A release issued by the communication cell of Naga Hoho, while welcoming such a move from the state government, said the Hoho would like to participate and share some opinion on certain sections of the Act where it has miserably failed in its implementation.
The Hoho said the NTLP Act 1989 was published in the Nagaland Gazette Extraordinary dated 24th April 1990 and reproduced a portion of the Act for the benefit of all. The Act reads:
“To totally prohibit possession, sale, consumption and manufacture of liquor in and of import and export thereof in the state of Nagaland.”
CHAPTER-II
3. Total Prohibition of Liquor and Nagaland a Dry State.
No person shall: –
(1) Transport, import or posses liquor,
(2) Sell or buy liquor,
(3) Consume liquor,
(4) Manufacture liquor; and
(5) Use or keep any material, utensil, implement or apparatus whatsoever for manufacture of liquor.
The Naga Hoho while acknowledging the fact that Nagaland is a Christian dominated State with the churches possessing a huge influence over the people and the state’s policies, however, said it is also aware of the fact that the above sections have been a big failure and cannot be implemented by the State’s agencies or even with the assistance of the NGOs and churches alike.
The need for a debate based on its merit for all the people of Nagaland, be it the scholars, churches, tribal hohos, government employees etc. is to refer to the above sections and keep a reality check in its implementations, the Hoho said.
The word ‘Act’ itself won’t be active unless stakeholders promote and accept it, the Hoho said while anticipating that certain sub-sections can be changed for the benefit of the people and see to it that the modalities should be in tune with what is practical and can be managed by the state’s agencies rather than passing an Act in the Assembly and leaving it to various enthusiastic NGOs to check that the Act is absolutely implemented.
It also sincerely urged the government to see that not only changes are made to sections containing in Chapter II of the Act but also in the subsequent chapters and refurbish the Act for the benefit of the people.
The Naga Hoho strongly felt that the NTLP Act has become a farce and therefore, the government should solemnly affirm whether to uphold or review the Act.
The Hoho further appealed to all the stakeholders of the State to participate by suggesting and sharing their opinion on this issue as responsible individuals, unions, NGOs etc. to make this Act a realistic, applicable and beneficial for the State of Nagaland.