CNTC urges Nagaland government to hold broader consultations before final demarcation of new districts

Dimapur, Feb. 25 (EMN): The Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) has asked the state government to seek wider and broader consultation before the final demarcation of the new districts is done.

While stating that the creation of new districts is a welcoming step, as it will offer growth and expand range of development, the council said in a statement that “important policy making and administrative rearrangement must be thoroughly studied before implementation otherwise it leads to serious repercussions and social unrest”.

It stated that “the government’s hasty move to determine and integrate the old existing demarcation of the Dhansiripar sub-division and some areas of Sumi villages which have a long-standing district boundary problem with Peren district together with the newly created district of Chumoukedima without considering the detailed analysis and views of all stakeholders has only led to huge public outcry”.

The CNTC stated that forceful amalgamation tantamounts to suppression of justice, hurting the sentiments of the people in the disputed areas and the ‘Dimasas, who are the earliest settlers of the plains of Dimapur’.

“They (Dimasas) are genuinely pleading through all democratic approaches to restore them back to Dimapur district. Even the name ‘Dimapur’ has been derived from the Dimasa word and placing them at another newly created district other than Dimapur is a forceful attempt to break their extended ancient lineage with Dimapur,” it said.

Maintaining the new districts should not alienate any section of people, it said the appeal of the Dimasas of Dhansiripar areas must be looked into at the earliest before more social unrest takes place. It went on to urge the government to take prompt measures on the long-pending Dimapur-Peren districts demarcation issue considering the volatile situation witnessed in the past.