Dimapur, August 23 (MExN): The Rising People Party has expressed opposition to any proposed move to nominate individuals from the non-indigenous tribal community of Nagaland in urban local bodies (ULBs). It also urged the State Government to desist from appointing non-Nagas as the replacement GB (Goanbura) of Dimapur's New Market.
In a representation to the Nagaland Chief Minister, the party said that its attention was particularly drawn to the purported "recommendation letters" written by the Advisors, Zhaleo Rio and Tovihoto Ayemi, for the nomination of two individuals from the Muslim and Gorkha communities respectively to the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC).
"We express our opposition to the proposed move," the RPP stated, further conveying its solidarity with the Naga student community who had stridently come out against the proposed nomination, citing valid reasons.
Apart from the indigenous Naga tribes, there are other non-Naga indigenous tribes in Nagaland such as Kukis, Garos, and Kacharis, and any nomination should be from within the indigenous tribal community of the State, it added.
Meanwhile, on the GB of New Market issue, the RPP urged the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA) government to desist from appointing non-Nagas as the replacement for the now-deceased previous GB.
"There is no necessity in playing appeasement politics when the future of the indigenous tribal is at stake due to unchecked mass immigration of aliens," it contended.
Instead, it called upon the State Government to issue a fresh notification overriding the previous notification dated April 9, 2010, relating to the appointment of GBs, which the RPP termed "vague and full of loopholes."
The fresh notification should incorporate the line, "A person seeking appointment to the post of GB must be an Indigenous Tribal citizen of the state," it added.
In the previous notification, the words such as "Indigenous" and "Tribal" are missing, allowing unscrupulous officers to even appoint people of doubtful ancestry, it alleged.
For the non-Naga non-tribal Indigenous inhabitants, nomenclatures such as "Representatives," etc., may be used instead of GB in the urban areas, it suggested.
According to the RPP, the issues highlighted have "overwhelming consensus," and thus, no consultative meeting with the stakeholders is required to make a decision.
