Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 8
In a new twist on the controversy surrounding the appointment of a non-indigenous citizen as the GB of New Market, the Dimapur District GB Association (DDGBA) on Sunday announced that it has decided to 'suspend' Abdul Kayum Talukdar as serving GB of New Market for 3 months. A Naga GB will take the responsibility until the issue is resolved.
This new development comes after the DDGBA and GB Union Dimapur Sadar convened an emergency meeting on Sunday wherein the findings of a 5-member fact finding team constituted by the Association on the appointment of Talukdar was reportedly deliberated.
DDGBA president, K Hokuto Zhimomi, addressing a press conference where only a section from the digital media were invited, said Talukdar has been suspended for 3 months as GB of New Market after it was ascertained that he is a non-indigenous citizen. Zhimomi also informed that the case would be forwarded to the District Administration on Monday.
“The DDGBA did not appoint the GB, we are not the appointment authority, nor the verification authority, so we are forwarding the case to the office of the DC,” Zhimomi stated while adding that that the Association cannot take action against the particular GB as he is appointed by the District Administration.
Zhimomi also highlighted that Talukdar was appointed as GB of New Market in 2008 and it was only on 2010 the state government made modification that for appointment as a GB, the concerned should be from a Schedule Tribe and an indigenous citizen.
The DDGBA, meanwhile, condemned the statement made by the RPP president Joel Naga that there is no need for GB in an urban setting like Dimapur.
Zhimomi reiterated his contention that Article 371 (A) of practicing customary laws is valid wherever there are Nagas. “Earlier, Dimapur was a village and now a town with 97 colony council and chairman and more than 600 GBs. How can he say that Article 371 (A) with regard to GBs cannot be implemented?”
The DDGBA president also claimed that he did not issue show cause notice to the RPP president as claimed but only asked him to clarify his statement.
