Since 2012 when the DAN-II government, on the eve of the 2013 assembly election, notified Rongmeis as an indigenous tribe of Nagaland, it led to wide resentment among various tribes of Nagaland and the Nagaland Tribes Council(NTC) demanded revocation of the order. The demand also has the backing of various other tribes of Nagaland.
Central Nagaland Tribes Council(CNTC)comprising of Aos, Lothas and Sumis, have issued a 30-day deadline with effect from July 30,2016 on the state government, to revoke recognition of Rongmei as an indigenous tribe of Nagaland and also resolved to demand that the endorsement by the Naga Hoho submitted to the government in September 22, 2008 be “withdrawn”.
In a communiqué, CNTC warned the state government that the three tribes would resort to their own course of action if the demand was not met.
The CNTC resolved to issue the ultimatum at a meeting of the apex bodies of the three constituent tribes on July 22 at Khehokhu village after a thorough deliberation.
According to CNTC, the Rongmeis in Nagaland have no specific geographical territory within Nagaland and granting recognition as a tribe of the state was unjustified and uncalled for. CNTC however said indigenous inhabitant status could be considered only to those who settled in Nagaland prior to 1963.
CNTC termed the move for recognition as an “ulterior motive” and reiterated that if a small state like Nagaland went on giving indigenous tribe status to every inhabitant, then a day might come when the original inhabitants of present Nagaland would be “endangered by the ramifications of such thoughtless move”.
CNTC reiterated that the state cannot afford to jeopardize its own interest and that of its future generation by granting indigenous tribe status fo “anyone demanding it” since such unwarranted actions only provided “ springboard for any outsider tomorrow” to demand the same status that would only spell “utter chaos” and “doom for the future generations.”
Past demands: NTC had been on loggerheads with past and present chief ministers- Neiphiu Rio and T.R.Zeliang over the issue when the state cabinet had purportedly overruled its own expert committee against granting status of scheduled tribe of Nagaland on Rongmeis.
The NTC had pointed out that the expert committee maintained that granting entitlement to all 1313 Rongmeis and their descendents who had settled in the state prior to 1963 for availing benefits of reservation to pursue employment and education “will not make them an indigenous Naga tribe of the state”.
The DAN-II government had maintained that recognition of Rongmei as a tribe of Nagaland was in lieu of some 1313 enumerated as Rongmeis in the electoral list.
However, the state government’s own Election department had nullified the claim when it stated that “Rongmei is not found/not available” in the electoral roll under Kohima district since 1963.
In July 2014 the Angami Public Organisation(APO) had also agreed with various other tribes of Nagaland and decided to urge upon the chief minister to derecognise Rongmei as a recognised indigenous community of the state.
The APO at its executive meeting in April 2014 opined that opening of the door for recognition of other Naga tribes from other states(or country) would lead to demand by other Naga tribes of similar background such as Maos, Poumais, Tangkhuls, Hemis etc and added that if similar demands by other Naga tribes for recognition was denied then it would again amount to discrimination.