Dimapur, February 6 (MExN): Reacting to the decision to “de-link” Nagaland from the ongoing country wide Delimitation exercise, the Joint Action Committee of Tribal Hohos on Delimitation (JAC) reiterated their stand that it was the bounden duty of the State Government, the State Member Delimitation Commission and the Associate Member to carry out the delimitation exercise in letter and in spirit for the just implementation as per the Delimitation Act, 2002 amended in 2003.
“Unfortunately, the State Member Delimitation Commission and the Associate Members were found to have been misleading the Delimitation Commission of India to scuttle the delimitation exercise in order to maintain status quo to suit their political necessity”, stated a press note issued by JAC general secretary Idailung Thou on the eve of a rally to be held at Delhi on February 7.
The JAC comprises of tribe hohos of Lotha, Zeliang, Phom, Sangtam and Yimchungru, of Wokha, Peren, Longleng and Kiphire districts and the Rengma Hoho and the Chakhro Angami Public Organization of Tseminyu sub-division and Medziphema sub-division.
It alleged that the delimitation process in Nagaland was scuttled due to the influence of vested state political leaders and that the Delimitation Commission’s draft proposal for maintaining status quo is seen as nothing but a proposal to protect the political interest of vested few political leaders.
“Democracy is all about equal representation of the people, and the people can be equally represented only when the ratio of population per Assembly Constituency seat is proportionately distributed”, the JAC maintained.
It also pointed out that in Nagaland, there is an existing imbalance in the distribution of assembly seats to various districts, to the effect that some districts having smaller population have more assembly seats while other districts with larger population has lesser seats.
The JAC substantiated its argument by citing figures as per the 2001 census. It stated under the existing delimitation in the state of Nagaland the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly allotted to Mokokchung district is 10, and the number of assembly seats allotted to the 4 districts of Wokha, Peren, Longleng and Kiphire is also 10.
As per census 2001 the total population of Mokokchung district is 2,32,085 whereas the total population of the four districts of Wokha, Peren, Longleng and Kiphire is 4,75,002, the JAC pointed out.
Accordingly, the JAC stated the existing position is that the Ao tribe in Mokokchung district has the benefit of 10 assembly seats. On the other hand the Lotha, Zeliang, Kuki, Phom, Yimchunger and Sangtam tribes of Wokha, Peren, Longleng and Kiphire districts have only 10 assembly seats altogether.
Further the Ao, Sema and Chakhesang tribes in Mokokchung, Zunheboto and Phek Districts and Phugoboto Sub Division with a population of 5,34,235 have 22 (twenty-two) Assembly Seats, whereas the Lotha, Zeliang, Phom, Sangtam, Yimchungru and Rengma tribes in Wokha, Peren, Longleng and Kiphire Districts and Tseminyu Sub Division with a population of 5,27,866 have only 11 (eleven) Assembly Seats. “Therefore, there is an existing imbalance in the indigenous tribal representation in the Nagaland State Assembly. Certain tribes like Ao, Sema and Chakhesang have larger representations in the State Assembly and therefore enjoy a bigger political power, whereas other tribes like Lotha, Zeliang, Phom, Sangtam, Yimchungru and Rengma tribes have lesser representatives in the State Assembly and thereby deprived of equal political power”, the JAC stated.
As a result of this, the JAC pointed out that there was an imminent necessity to carry out immediate Delimitation exercise so that the distribution of the existing Assembly seats amongst the indigenous tribes is equal and all the tribal people enjoy equal representation in the State Assembly proportionate to their respective population.
The JAC has also stated that considering the proposal made by the Chairman Delimitation Commission to opt for tribal population, the submitted an alternative proposal for implementation of Delimitation in Nagaland based on Tribal population only to the Chairman Delimitation Commission on the 29th March, 2007. As per this list, the JAC observed that this give relieve to some of the Districts that are to lose Assembly Seats in the process of carrying out Delimitation. For example as per the JAC list Mokokchung will be entitled 8 seats from its existing 10 seats.
The JAC has therefore appealed for providing equal representation of all Naga Tribes through the just implementation of the Delimitation Act, 2002 as amended in 2003 and urged upon the Government of India not to de-link Nagaland from the ongoing Delimitation process in the Country but to ensure that delimitation is carried out without partiality to any community and that the Delimitation exercise in Nagaland is carried out together with the rest of the Country.
