WOKHA, JUNE 11 (MExN): The Lotha Hoho today came out in favour of the delimitation exercise in Nagaland and said that the distribution of Assembly seats in Nagaland “has not been done fairly.”
“The 1971 Delimitation seems to have been politicised, anarchical, biased and discriminatory; as though done at the whims of the officials who were then at the helm of power and in charge of Delimitation,” a press release from the LH Chairman, Mhondamo Ovung and General Secretary, Mhondamo Ovung said.
Citing data from the 2001 and 2011 censuses, the Lotha Hoho said that the present system of seat distribution is discriminatory for many districts.
“With 2001 census population of 19,90,036 each Assembly Constituency must have approximately a population of 33,167. If the Census of 2011 is considered with a population of 19,78,502 persons, one constituency should have 32,975 persons per Assembly Constituency. When Census populations of both 2001 and 2011 are considered, the average population per A/Constituency is approximately 33070 persons,” the LH said.
It argued that such being the trend of Population per Constituency, the districts that are woefully discriminated in Assembly Constituencies distribution are among others, Peren and Wokha.
“Peren with 2001 population of 90,766 and with 2 constituencies has a population of 45,383 per constituency and 47,610 per constituency as per 2011 census population of 95, 219 persons. Wokha district with 4 Assembly Constituencies and with 2001 Census population of 1,61,223, has 40,305 persons per Assembly Constituency and with 2011 population of 1,66,343 has a population of 41,588 per Assembly Constituency,” it informed.
It however stated that in several districts, the population per Assembly Constituency varies from 19,462 to 20,108 which is not even half of that of Peren or Wokha.
“Such being the discrepancy in distribution of Assembly seats among the districts, the victimised districts cannot always say ‘Yes’ to those unscrupulous elements who also managed to dislodge the proposed Delimitation of 2001 and hence the victimised districts have been deprived of their benefits for several decades,” the LH stated.
It meanwhile lamented that “there are still some unscrupulous elements who continue to advocate holding the status quo till the Naga Solution comes. “They do so because the unfair distribution of Assembly seats serves their vested interests,” the LH alleged.
It upheld the decision of the Election Commission of India as fair, just and people service oriented “because as a victim of injustice, we have suffered for too long and will not budge an inch; but will advocate for fairness and justice within the Naga society and in Nagaland.”
To arguments that “if solution comes more Assembly seats will come,” the LH said that the Naga political talks have taken a very long time and may take more years to come to a final settlement.
While stating that it would welcome the Naga solution, the LH said that “if more Assembly seats come with solution, further delimitation or rearrangement may be carried out.”
It reasoned that the 2021 delimitation if carried out now, “will be more peaceful and easier to do the further Delimitation when solution comes.”
