The Nagaland Senior Citizen thankfully and gratefully appreciates the decision of the cabinet taken during its meeting held on 25th April, 2017, wherein the recognition of Rongmei tribe as one of the indigenous Naga tribes of Nagaland as notified by the Government vide Notification NO.Home ISCTA-6/2007 (Pt-I)/34 dated 4 -Aug, 2012 has been withdrawn. Taking cognizance of the consequential hues and cries, discord and dissensions of the civil societies, the cabinet has taken a wise decision.
Prudence suggest that the maturity, vast experiences and statesmanship of the present cabinets under the seasonal leadership of Dr.Shurhozelie Leizietsu has settled this controversial and one sided action during the previous regime.
With regards to continuous grant to enjoy the status, privileges and entitlement of indigenous to those who permanently settled in Nagaland prior to 1.12.1963 along with their legitimate descendents needs reexamination and review deeply basing on the following factors:-
No where in Nagaland, the Rongmei people have inherited land within the state of Nagaland.
The fact that the state government department concerned who own the responsibility for election matter had nullified the claim that the Rongmie tribe numbering 1313 were enumerated in the electoral list for the first election which was held in Jan, 1964.
Non-existence of the names of Rongmie tribe in the electoral Roll in the election Department record under concerned district of Kohima since
APO, which is one of the major constituents with maximum population of the then district had agreed in agreement with the other tribes of Nagaland and urged the former CM to derecognize Rongmei as an indigenous recognized tribe of Nagaland way back in July 2014.
It is an admitted fact that when a tribe from outside of Nagaland is allowed as indigenous tribe of Nagaland, other contiguous inhabitant of Nagaland state shall naturally demand the same privilege and refusal/denied will term as diserimenation. The APO having visualized this problem had opposed it during their meeting in April 2014.
When we consider the Biblical event that had happened during the king Cyrus of Persia in the book of Ezra (2.59.63) where a group of people were denied as the tribe of Israel for failure to identify 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 General Secretary NSCA.
Sd/-
Dr.S.I Tushi Ao
President, NSCA;
S.Ghunakha Swu
Secretary, NSCA
