DIMAPUR, JUNE 24 (MExN): The Naga Hoho today said that it is “astonished” over reports that a petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking direction to the Centre and the Nagaland government to take “appropriate steps for the protection of life and liberty, properties and other fundamental rights of non-Nagas” living in Dimapur following the “imposition” of the Inner Line Permit (ILP).
A press statement from the Naga Hoho questioned the motive of the petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a BJP leader, and questioned “what actually prompted him to go to the extent of filing a petition in the Supreme Court.”
“If he has any apprehension on the ILP issue, the matter should have been addressed to the Government of Nagaland or any other appropriate forum to clear his doubts rather than going to the Court of law. This clearly shows that he has some malafide intention to malign the Nagas which cannot be easily absolved,” the Naga Hoho said.
A report in national publication ‘The Hindu’ stated that the petitioner had challenged certain sections of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 which gives unbridled power to a State to prescribe ILP.
Section 2 of the Regulation empowers a State government to prescribe ‘Inner Line’ to prohibit citizens of India or any class of such citizens going beyond the prescribed line without a pass, the report added.
According to the report, Upadhyay in the PIL stated that the colonial-era regulation “was passed by the then British government to prohibit Indian citizens to move in selects districts to create monopoly in business.”
It was filed following the State Cabinet’s reported “decision to extend the operation of the 1873 Regulation in Dimapur,” Upadhyay informed in the petition.
“Therefore, many non-Nagas who have landed properties with commercial shops, godowns, etc. and who are staying in as tenants, and many locals who earn their income by means of collecting house rent from tenants would be adversely affected,” he was quoted as saying in the PIL.
In response, the Naga Hoho said that the petition includes “concocted allegation, as if, Nagas are racist – this is something which we cannot tolerate.” The Naga Hoho reminded that “unlike other states in India, the present Nagaland state was created out of political Agreement and Dimapur comes within the purview of 1963 statehood.”
The petition said that “Gujaratis, Rajasthanis, Biharis, Jharkhandis, Bengalis, Gorkhas, Bodos, Dimasas, Karbis, Garos, etc. have been regarded as outsiders by the government of Nagaland, which is a racial discrimination,” The Hindu report added.
“When Nagaland acquired statehood, Dimapur, being a part of Assam, was legally and constitutionally excluded from the Naga Hills and from Sixth Schedule. But, petitioner don’t know how it was again included in the State of Nagaland after exclusion from Sixth Schedule?” Upadhyay further argued in the PIL.
The PIL, as per the report, also contended that the imposition of the ILP would “create a country within a country …”
The Naga Hoho however stated that the creation of Nagaland state is not the final solution to the Naga political issue and therefore peace process and political talks between the Government of India and the Naga National workers are still going on where an honourable solution to the vexed Indo-Naga political issue is awaited.
It therefore asked that the petition be withdrawn without delay. Meanwhile, it was reported that the PIL is likely to be heard in July by a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
Condemns H&TE Minister’s comment on unreserved NLA seat
Meanwhile, the Naga Hoho also took exception to a statement made by the Nagaland Higher and Technical Education Minister, Temjen Imna Along Longkumer on June 23 regarding opportunity for non Nagas to become a part of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly through the one general (unreserved) Assembly Constituency seat in the state (Dimapur 1 A/C).
The Naga Hoho questioned whether the Minister “really meant it and knows the Naga political history and struggle or just to please his political bosses in Delhi.” It accused the Minister of lately “making remarks which will have far reaching consequences for the future Naga generations.”
“Do Nagas get opportunity to be in UP or Bihar or any other state Assembly?” the Naga Hoho questioned, and asked the Minister “not to finish the Naga political history and the young generation in exchange for his chair and power.”
