Dimapur Tribal Hoho Forum (DTHF) has described as “farce” the formation of Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) and affirmed that it would not recognise the present NCD leadership until it was set up with the participation of all the mandated councillors from all member tribes within August 18, 2021.
In a press note, DTHF convenor Zhato Kimho and secretary Wanthang Rengma stated that the resolution to this effect was taken at a meeting held at Tourist Lodge, Dimapur on August 10. The forum stated that the meeting, which had discussed the NCD imbroglio threadbare, was attended by 11 tribal hohos out of 19. DTHF said the meeting resolved that failure to set up within the stipulated period would compel the forum to take its own course of action.
The forum maintained that the entire episode of signing the MoU between the two contending NCD parties under the initiative of ASTD president Meren Longchar “at last came out as a design to discriminate and sideline certain tribes.” The house has also asked Meren to give a satisfactory response on or before August 18 and that failure to do so, will compel DTHF members to disassociate ASTD under Meren’s leadership.
Further, DTHF said that nomination and removal of the councillors to NCD was the prerogative of the respective tribes. However, it said that after the signing of the MoU, the councillors of five tribes were rejected and thereafter installed the president and the vice president in the absence of the councillors of the 5 tribes. The forum maintained that NCD had no authority to reject councillors sent by respective tribes.