ULB polls at this stage not fully the will of the Nagas, says NGBF

DIMAPUR, MARCH 26 (MExN): The Nagaland Gaon Bura (Village Chiefs) Federation (NGBF) today stated that conducting the “local body election” or Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections “at this stage is not fully the will of the Nagas.” 

A press release form the NGBF media cell said that the Supreme Court’s directive is an outcome of “our failure in convincing the Court on the political negotiations between the Government of India and Naga National Political Groups and the concerned party should take responsibility of it.” 

The NGBF said that the agreement of 1960 between the Government of India and the Naga Peoples Convention addressed the formation of a Legislative Assembly with separation of powers from the Parliament of India. 

 “Naga Customary law as per the agreed terms of 1960, do not warrant the creation of Urban Local Bodies. The village, area and range councils alone can be made operational, it claimed, adding that Article 243 cannot be applied to Nagaland including the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution. 

It further argued that the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001, (9) (2) of dividing the Villages into wards and the same as in 21(2) of the same act “do not fit into the scheme of article 371 (A) (1) (a) and infringing in any manner is not encouraged.” 

The NGBF noted that the Naga political solution drawn between the NPGs and GoI has been discussed in all the forums including that of Nagaland legislators. “We are made to understand that the formation of bicameral house and federal Hoho and the structuring of the administration of the Federal Hoho, would be decided after the political solution,” it said. The NGBF therefore said that there is no need for the ULB polls at this stage. 

 “If at all we are serious of our Naga political solution the political reality should be let known to the Supreme Court of India,” it meanwhile urged. 



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