NTC says it was formed as ‘tribal apex body of Nagaland’ amid social unrest

DIMAPUR — The controversy triggered by the recent attempt to form an apex tribal body of Nagaland has refused to die down, with the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) claiming that the sole intention of the move was to jeopardise its functioning.

In a press release issued on Friday, the council claimed that it was neither invited/ officially communicated about the series of meetings being held, nor its opinion sought on the matter, and hence any implication on it is “not correct” and “unacceptable”.

Claiming that the proposal remains to be “secret with the organizers”, it stated: “If at all it is required all the sixty (60) Elected Members of NLA must have the consensus first.”

This came days after Dr. Chumben Murry, Advisor to the chief minister, clarified that the proposal was entirely his initiative to address the common issue confronted by the Naga of Nagaland and that “all communications and letters that were given to the three regional bodies and their affiliated units were also given to the NTC”.

The NTC had earlier claimed in a press statement that it has represented Nagas of Nagaland as the tribal apex body for the past 11 years, while Dr. Murry hit back, saying that it didn’t have the support of all the Naga tribal bodies in the state.

Clarifying its position to the public on this matter, the NTC stated that it was formed as the “Tribal Apex Body of Nagaland” amid “the eruption of social unrest for want of justice” in 2013, over the contemplation of the government to recognise Mao Naga tribe as an indigenous tribe in the state.

As there was no proper platform to address such issues then, the CNTC initiated a consultative meeting of concerned leaders and Tribal Hoho representatives of all tribes in Nagaland in April 2013 at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur, to discuss the matter, it stated, adding that the house also learned about the recognition of the Rongmei tribe in the state a year earlier.

At the meeting, the house “vehemently opposed the recognition of any tribe besides the aboriginal Naga Tribes of the State of Nagaland”, and it was the “turning point for formation of ‘Tribal Apex Body of Nagaland’ and for that matter the NTC”, stated the press release.

All these reasons strengthened the formation of NTC.

“More so, the very interest of the state government of Nagaland proposing a plan to earmark the plain foothill sector in the state as the ‘Nagaland Special Development Zones (NSDZ)’ and term it as ‘Land Bank’ is implicit of fulfilling an undisclosed agenda,” it said, claiming that the clauses under the concept note of NSDZ “made it clear that the enforcement of ILP and the Nagaland Land (Amendment) Act 1978 will be bereft of within the earmarked area of NSDZ” and virtually outside the purview of the Art. 371A, thus giving the potential of leasing out the vast plain foothill area to “strangers” for permanent settlement.

It was also found out that there were proposals to set up Gaidinliu Memorial Hall in Kohima, place a portrait of her inside the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Hall, and renaming the Dimapur Airport after her as well as installing her statue there, without consulting the people, claimed the NTC.

It went on to claim that the Zeliang tribe has been left out, while the anew born imaginary tribe “Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB)” has been listed under the Tenyimi Union Nagaland in the “Preamble o Understanding” of the newly proposed apex body structure.

‘Although the wishful thinking of the NTC is to unify all the 14 tribes (now 15 tribes) of Nagaland and as well inserted in its Constitution, the official communication was received from ENPO on behalf of the six tribes (now seven) of eastern Nagaland dated 6th August 2013, where the ENPO expressed technical and circumstantial reasons that has restrained them from joining the General Council of NTC,” read the press release.

“It however conveyed their desire to co-operate and work together in common issues and interest of the Nagas and the State in general. Amongst the rest left over 8 tribes of Nagaland, it is an undeniable fact that NTC has the endorsement of 7 tribes as of now,” it added.

Also read: Rejoinder to 21st November 2-23 Press Release of NTC