Jakhama, January 11 (MTNews): The Jakhama Village Council released its 2nd Amendment Constitution Booklet today in its Council Hall in Jakhama village, at the Village Council’s First General Meeting of 2023.
The booklet was publicly released by Jakhama Village Council Chairman Zhopo Richa at the council’s first general meeting in 2023.
The Yehzabo (Constitution) 2nd Amendment Committee had Kezhokhoto Savi, Advocate as the convenor and included Saku Rolnu G.B and Kikoviku Yosa as members.
According to Savi, the Jakhama Village Council approved its first Yehzabo (Constitution) with the motto “Truth and Victory” on May 1, 1993, and now everyone who resides within the Jakhama village jurisdiction will honour the current Constitution as a law abiding citizen, which was approved and came into force on November 25, 2022.
Savi further asserted that the JVC Yehzabo would reinforce Article 371A of the Indian Constitution, which provides for specific provisions for Nagas in Nagaland, such as ownership of immovable property such as land.
“The Nagaland Legislative Assembly has also established an Act that clearly states that only Nagaland’s indigenous inhabitants can own the land,” he says.
He anticipated that the Yehzabo will serve as a model for other Nagaland villages.
Savi further mentioned that there are Nagas from neighboring states such as Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are not indigenous inhabitants to Nagaland but are indigenous to the state in which they live.
He also said that due to the government’s inaction, there are now many non-indigenous Nagas owning land in Nagaland. He added that non-indigenous Nagas and non-Nagas are not entitled to public employment under the Nagaland state government.
Speaking of the Yehzabo, he stated that the current JVC Constitution does not allow outsiders to buy land or own any immovable properties within the village jurisdiction; adoption of non-Nagas or non-indigenous is strictly prohibited; and any women married to non-Nagas or non-indigenous would belong to those communities automatically, and if her husband abandoned her, she could return to the village but her children would not be considered Jakhama citizens.
He further stated that the village authority would not provide any required certificates, such as ST or Indigenous Inhabitant certificates, to such children.