Rongmei Naga People’s Organisation (RNPO) on Sunday issued directives to all its units, councils/frontal organisations in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland not to participate in the meeting called by Zeliangrong Baudi (AMN) at Jalukie town on April 3 2018.
RNPO media cell said none should attend the meeting “till such time the parallel bodies– Zeliangrong Baudi and Zeliangrong Union is merged into one apex body, as per their joint declaration made at a consultative meeting (Zeliangrong Baudi and Zeliangrong Union) held at Imphal on May 27, 2017,”
It also warned that any individual(s) from Rongmei tribe attending the meeting would be doing so on his/her own accord and any outcome of the meeting will have no official endorsement from the tribe as a whole.
RNPO said the directive was also issued in line with the unanimous resolutions adopted at the joint councils meeting of Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei on September 22, 2015 at Hotel Saramati, Dimapur.
Further, RNPO also said that the directive was issued since no official circular/information of the proposed meeting was received by RNPO nor Rongmei Council Nagaland.
On tribe recognition issue, RNPO said it differed with the ‘joint declaration’ of Zeliangrong Baudi and Zeliangrong Union for recognition of Zeliangrong as a single tribe. RNPO asserted that Zeliangrong Baudi or Zeliangrong Union was an organization and not a tribe and that they cannot represent themselves as a tribe body in any apex tribal organization/government. In this regard, RNPO made a declaration at the Rongmei People’s Convention in Tamenglong on January 9, 2018, it added.
While making it known that it was not against Zeliangrong organization working for peace, unity and welfare of the Zeliangrong people, RNPO however said it would be wrong if they claim as a legitimate tribe.
“An organisation is an entity comprising multiple people with different assigned responsibilities, whereas a tribe is a single people with distinct dialect, culture, costume and territory existing time immemorial. These two cannot be mixed up or misused in any endeavour,” it stated.
It reminded that during the meeting of the joint councils meeting at Hotel Saramati, attended by presidents and vice presidents of Zeme Council (NEI), Liangmei Council Nagaland, Rongmei Council Nagaland, Liangmei Council Manipur, Rongmei Council Manipur, Zeme Council Nagaland, Zeme Council Assam, Zeme Council Manipur, Rongmei Council Assam and RNPO expressed technical difficulties faced in the process of making Zeliangrong as one tribe and for which respective councils were to deal in matters of the tribe issue.
It was also agreed upon that any member of the respective tribe, having to do with or being called to any office of trusted social organisation, must seek the knowledge and recommendation of the respective tribes.
With regard to Zeliangrong Baudi (AMN)’s allegation that NSCN/GPRN had divided the Zeliangrong people with the recognition of Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei as tribes at the recent meeting of Tatar Hoho, RNPO maintained that this decision was taken following the memorandum submitted to the NSCN/GPRN for recognition as distinct tribe and not organization.
As such, RNPO said it welcomed and vindicate NSCN/GPRN’s decision taken in the interests of all Nagas.