Eastern Nagaland People’s Union Dimapur (ENPUD) has reacted to the Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) and Chakroma Public Organisation (CPO)’s opposition to nominate candidates from Eastern Naga People’s Organization (ENPO) area as government representatives in municipal councils and town councils under their jurisdiction.
ENPUD through its media cell contended that Dimapur, as a commercial district, belonged to all the Naga tribes. The union asserted that no particular tribe has the power or jurisdiction to dictate their will upon anybody within Dimapur district. ENPUD stated that 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.”
The union pointed out that as per the Nagaland Municipal Act 2023 Section 10 (3) “The Government shall by a notification nominate such numbers of members not exceeding one-fifth of the elected members from among the persons having special knowledge or experiences municipal Administration shall be nominated members”.
ENPUD, therefore, stated that as long as members were indigenous inhabitants of the state, there were no other specific reasons to bar/deny a person from being nominated to the ULB including people from ENPO area. It said that the reason for abstaining ULB elections to deny or oppose nomination was “totally unwarranted.”
The union said the Eastern Nagaland people living in Dimapur were “very much aware” about the ENPO resolutions. However, the union said that the ENPO did not issue any directives and left the decision to uphold the ‘Chenmoho resolutions’ to the wisdom of the people living outside the ENPO jurisdiction.
Thus, ENPUD said the Eastern Nagaland people living in Dimapur were “wise and matured enough” to decide what was good and bad for its people and were doing their best accordingly in regard to ENPO resolutions.
As such, the union said that even the decision to accept or demand or reject ULB nominee should be left to the wisdom of ENPO people living in Dimapur. ENPUD, therefore, said that WSH and CPO intervening under the pretext of ENPO resolutions to oppose nominating people from ENPO area was “highly questionable and exposes its ulterior motives.”
In the light of the above, the ENPUD has sought clarification from the state government whether the municipalities belonged to WSH and CPO or the state government has constituted it for the welfare and upliftment of all the Nagas living in Dimapur? However, if it was is their municipalities, the union asked “why restrict only people from ENPO area from nomination in ULB?”
It said that if they restrict ENPO people from nominee in their municipalities, then they should also restrict other tribes from contesting in their municipalities “because they are claiming exclusive rights as if their municipalities.”
Therefore, ENPUD asserted that press statement of WSH and CPO clearly revealed the “true colours of ‘Majority & Minority’, ‘Forward & Backward’ and ‘Mati Malik’ (Land owner) mindset and attitude”, for which the union said it had been expressing its displeasure and opposition for a long time now.
The union said that Naga leaders always talk about Naga unity and brotherhood, but never walk the talk, adding that the civil societies functioning with such discriminatory and biased mindset would “never bring about Naga Unity and create a progressive Naga Society.”
ENPUD has, therefore, requested the WSH and CPO to withdraw their statement made against the people from ENPO area for the sake of Naga unity and betterment of Naga society. It said that if the Naga society has to move forward as one family with one agenda, then nobody can claim to be stronger or treat somebody to be weaker.
ENPUD also sought to clarify that being a civil society it was neither involved in any political activities nor adopted any resolutions to extent support or oppose any particular candidates or parties etc. in any elections. Therefore, even in future, ENPUD said its name should not be used for any political mileage and anyone doing so would be held accountable.