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DIMAPUR — The Eastern Nagaland People’s Union Dimapur (ENPUD) has taken exception to the joint statement of the Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) and Chakroma Public Organisation (CPO) on ULB, opposing nomination of people from Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) area as government representatives in municipal and town councils under their jurisdiction.
“Dimapur as a commercial district belongs to all the Naga tribes. No particular tribe has the power or jurisdiction to dictate their will upon anybody within Dimapur district. The immature and unsolicited statement made by WSH and CPO has hurt the sentiments of eastern Nagaland people in general and the eastern Nagaland people living in Dimapur in particular and made us feel being treated as unwanted and outcast,” read the rejoinder from the ENPUD.
Citing Section 10 (3) of the Nagaland Municipal Act 2023, it said ‘the government could nominate members not exceeding one-fifth of the elected members from among the persons having special knowledge or experiences municipal administration’.
“Therefore as long as that members is an indigenous inhabitants of the State, there are no other specific reasons to bar/ deny a person from being nominated to the ULB including people from ENPO area, and the reason for abstaining ULB elections to deny or oppose nomination is totally unwarranted,” it stated.
The eastern Nagaland people living in Dimapur are very much aware about the ENPO resolutions but the ENPO has not issued any directives and has left the decision to uphold the ‘Chenmoho resolutions’ to the wisdom of the people living outside the ENPO jurisdiction. So, the eastern Nagaland people living in Dimapur is wise and matured enough to decide what is good and bad for its people and is doing its best accordingly in regard to ENPO resolutions, it stated.
Maintaining that “the decision to accept or demand or reject the ULB nominee should be left to the wisdom of the ENPO people living in Dimapur”, the ENPUD said the intervention of the WSH and CPO “under the pretext of ENPO resolutions to oppose nominating people from ENPO area is highly questionable and exposes its ulterior motives”.
It also sought clarification from the state government if the municipalities belong to WSH and CPO) or were ‘constituted for the welfare and uplift of all Nagas living in Dimapur’. “And if it is their municipalities, why restrict only people from ENPO area from nomination in ULB?” it asked.
Asserting that discriminatory and biased mindset will never bring about Naga unity and a progressive society, it requested the two organisations ‘to withdraw their statement made against the people from ENPO area for the sake of Naga unity and betterment of Naga society’.
It went on to clarify that, as a civil society, it is neither involved in any political activities nor adopted resolutions in connection with any candidates or parties in elections, while cautioning that anyone using the “name of ENPUD” for any political mileage or tarnish its image by linking with any election, will be held accountable.