NNPGs WC opposes PIL filed in SC

DIMAPUR, JUNE 25 (MExN): The NNPGs Working Committee (WC) today issued a representation to the Government of Nagaland expressing opposition to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Supreme Court by a BJP leader seeking “protection” of non Nagas in Dimapur. 

“At this crucial juncture, when the Negotiations between the Government of India and Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) are nearing the final phase, BJP State unit should have issued an advisory to the National Leadership on the bearing of the said PIL,” a press note from the committee’s media cell stated.

It further asked the Government of Nagaland to appraise all the Courts on political negotiations between the Naga National Political Groups and the GoI. 

“We are left with nothing else than to believe that the PIL is an outcome of the  political Interests of the Nagaland State BJP unit to reduce the status of the Nagas to ordinary Indian  Citizens.  BJP leaders and the ruling coalition leaders of NDPP were harboured at New Delhi over the past week cannot escape from their ignorance on such a disastrous political move by a renowned national leader of the BJP. It cannot be ruled out as an independent decision of the petitioner,” the committee said.

It reminded that Nagaland is the only federal unit in the history of free India “that was carved out as a separate political entity and to have a Government without any Act of the Parliament of India.” “If Nagas are brought in the ambit of any other constitutional provisions, it will be a political suicide,” the committee said, stating that the Nagaland BJP, a ruling partner of the coalition, “alone will be liable for all the consequences and accountable to the Nagas.” 

“It is the law of the land that the Nagaland has not adopted any of the laws or the acts on which a Public Interest can be created in the matter before any court of Justice and the petitioner has no locus standi in the matter. How could the petitioner stand for the non Nagas of Dimapur?” it questioned.  

Such “undue interventions in the internal affairs of the Nagas,” the committee said, cannot be tolerated. It meanwhile informed that the “same Advocate seemingly has filed PIL against Article 370 and now, through the North East Frontier Regulation has dragged  Article 371 A into the court.” The committee said as per principle by the Parliament of India “Nagaland Acts are not laws, but is the legitimisation of an agreement made outside the premises of both the houses parliament, between the Government of India and the Nagas.” 

“Beyond any doubt, Article 371A and its predecessor, 1937 Government of India Act have survived over Article 21 of the Constitution. Conflict of Political interests should not be created and Nagaland BJP cannot wash off its hands over such political excesses of its national leaders,” it added.

It asked the Nagaland   BJP and its coalition partner NDPP to make sure that “if any conflict of law or constitutional provision arises between Government of India and Nagaland, it should not be carried over to the judiciary, and sorted out during the due process of political negotiations.”

The WC said that the Nagaland Government is duty bound to appraise all relevant courts on the ongoing political negotiations between Government of India and the Naga Political Groups. “When the political and constitutional matters are subject to negotiations, Judiciary also has to be taken into confidence so that there are no roadblocks in the political process,” it added.