Dropping of two ministers belonging to Lotha community– Y. Patton of the NPF and Mhonlumo Kikon, a BJP member– from the T.R. Zeliang cabinet has infuriated the apex tribal body of the Lotha community, Lotha Hoho (LH).
In a statement issued by its chairman, Mhao Humtsoe and general secretary, Er. Mhondamo Ovung, Lotha Hoho expressed shock and surprise at the sacking of Patton and Kikon and asked why the chief minister had targeted the two Lotha ministers. It alleged that while tribes having ministers had been given more ministerial berths, the Lotha tribe with only four MLAs, of which two were ministers, had been targeted as the duo had been sacked.
“Is this fair and democratic or is it that the DAN Ministry does not want any Lotha MLA to be a Minister or has the Nagaland chief minister gone berserk?” the Lotha Hoho wondered.
Questioning the sanity of the chief minister and DAN leaders, the apex tribal body also wanted to know if the Nagaland politics was for tribalism or favouritism or nepotism.
Lotha Hoho said it would not say anything on matters of internal party affairs but added that when the matter pertained to social rights of the Lotha community it would not accept any such discrimination nor support such a “farcical government”.
While demanding immediate re-induction of Lotha legislators into the state cabinet, the Lotha Hoho at the same time warned of withdrawing support to the T.R. Zeliang-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government if its demand was not met.
The hoho further reminded that any MLA was a representative of the electorate and hence he or she was supposed to stand for the rights and welfare of the electorate, adding that the elected leader could not be made “a tool or errand runner of the party or the chief minister or party leaders”.