Dimapur, Feb 28 (MExN): Slamming as ‘farce, baseless and unrealistic’ the Nagaland Government asserting status Quo in the delimitation issue on tribal grounds, the Lotha Hoho feels strongly that the Delimitation Commission should carry out the delimitation exercise. Failure to effect action on this would mean the Lotha community would be compelled to boycott ‘any future elections in Nagaland’, it cautions.
“If Nagaland is exempted and status quo is maintained from the purview of the delimitation process and minor readjustments within districts is left to the state government alone as claimed by the official source, more problems will be created as already started in some district like Mokokchung, there will be discontentment and chaos among ethnic tribal groups” the Lotha Hoho executives in a representation to the Commission’s chairman stated. The Lotha Hoho stated that inequality and gap already existing between the ‘advanced’ and ‘backward’ tribes will continue to be neglected politically, economically and socially for lack of representation in the state legislature.
The Hoho set forth these points: The delimitation Commission had earlier in August 2005 in its working paper for 60 Assembly Constituencies, proposed allotment of seats to the eleven districts of Nagaland by setting an average population of 33.167 per AC which “we found it to be just proper and equitable for all the districts/tribes of Nagaland”. The entitlement for each district as per 2001 census is not transfer of assembly seats from one district to another. “It is an entitlement as per Parliamentary act under the constitution of India. Any attempt to take away the constitutional right is discriminatory and unconstitutional because if no delimitation is taken place a district like Mokokchung and Zunheboto which has 10 and 7 assembly seats respectively will have a population of about 23, 000 and 22, 000 only per constituency where as Kiphire over 50, 700 per constituency, Peren over 45, 780, Wokha will have a population of over 40, 300 per constituency and Dimapur although urban district will have a population of over 66, 00 per constituency” the Hoho explained. Thus, advanced districts/tribes will have smaller constituencies than the backward districts and some backward districts with fewer constituencies at present will have two to three times bigger the size of constituencies of advanced districts in terms of population, it stated.
“These imbalances will definitely result in disparity in the matter of development, economic, social and political status of the districts. Therefore all constituencies must have equal sizes in terms of population as per 2001 census. As such the claim of the state government to maintain unique tribal composition is a farce, baseless and unrealistic” the Hoho stated. Backward districts would continue to be neglected due to less and uneven distribution of assembly constituencies. Also, for instance, an elected member from an advanced district will look after 22,000 or 23, 000 populations whereas backward districts like Longleng, Kiphire and Peren will be looking after over 50, 000 to 60, 000 population, the Hoho stated. From these points, the Lotha contented that there will be inequality and tribal imbalances contrary to the claim of the state government which will definitely result in economic, social and political imbalances among the tribes of Nagaland. “As such we are confident that the Delimitation Commission would look into all these aspects while deciding the question of delimitation of Assembly constituencies in Nagaland” the Hoho stated.
