Committee of officers constituted to provide recommendations
DIMAPUR, MAY 2 (MExN): In the backdrop of media reports on criticism from different quarters on what was reported as the government’s move to recognize the Mao tribe, the Home Department, Government of Nagaland has clarified that the State government has not made any move or decision on the issue of recognition of Mao tribe as one of the Naga tribes of Nagaland.
According to a press note from the Home Commissioner Temjen Toy, since a representation had been received by the State government from the Mao community of Nagaland for such recognition, the State government had “merely constituted a Committee of officers to study the demand and submit its report/findings and recommendation to the State government”.
The government has explained that this is the “standard procedure normally adopted by the government before accepting or rejecting such kind of representation/demand by any group of people or community”. “While considering the report/findings and recommendation of the Committee of Officers, the State government would also take definitely into account the views expressed by various Naga organizations on the issue”, clarified the press note from the Home Department.
Meanwhile the press note has also mentioned that similar requests for recognition of tribes have been received from the Poumai and Tangkhul tribes. These will also be referred to the committee for its observations and recommendations to the State government, the press note informed.
On reports that the State government has already recognized the Rongmei community from Tamenglong district of Manipur, the Home Department termed this as factually incorrect. It was pointed out that the State government had recognized the Rongmei tribe as one of the Naga tribes of Nagaland but the benefit of this recognition in terms of government jobs and seats in educational institution “would be restricted to only those Rongmeis, who were already settled in Nagaland prior to 1st December 1963, (the day Nagaland became a State), and their true descendants”.
The government informed that for this purpose, a proper census of members of the Rongmei tribe who had settled in Nagaland prior to 1st December, 1963 had already been taken, along with their true descendants, before the decision was taken by the government. These records are kept in the offices of DC Kohima, DC Dimapur, DC Peren, as well as in the office of Commissioner, Nagaland and in Home Department for reference, it was informed.
It was stated that as per this special census record, there are only 1313 Rongmeis in Nagaland as on 2008 who would be entitled to this benefit and they are spread out in the districts of Kohima (265), Dimapur (825) and Peren (223). As such it was clarified that no Rongmei from Tamenglong district of Manipur would be able to avail the benefits of the recognition of Rongmei tribe in Nagaland.
It was also mentioned that as per available records of the government, the first memorandum requesting for recognition of the Rongmei tribe was made by Rani Gaidinliu, freedom fighter, on 21st October, 1981 which was examined by the State government and a cabinet memo was submitted to the then Chief Minister of Nagaland on 13.03.1989.
Moreover it was informed that Rongmei as a Naga tribe is recognized under the Scheduled Tribes order 1950. Another important reason for giving recognition to the Rongmei tribe according to the press note was that many of them were already settled in Nagaland prior to 1st December 1963 and were part of the Zeliangrong tribe, which is one of the original Naga tribes inhabiting Nagaland.
However it was pointed out that when the State government subsequently listed out the names of the recognized Naga tribes of Nagaland, only Zeliang tribe was included, leaving out the Rongmei tribe. Hence for the last many years, since then, Rongmei community as well as by the Zeliangrong Baudi, which is the apex tribal body of the Zemi, Liangmai and Rongmei tribes, had been making several representations to the State government against their exclusion, the press note stated.
“As such it was partly to rectify this historical injustice that the Rongmei tribe was recently included in the list of recognized Naga tribes of Nagaland”, the government clarified.
