‘Intending candidates asked not to file nomination till matter settled’
The Kohima Village Council through a press release has said it supports the demand of the three municipal bodies (AKMWP, DUCCF, and AWUMT) who have demanded that the Nagaland Municipal Act (NMA) 2001, pertaining to tax on land and building with all relevant sections and the section to conduct ULB election with 33% Women reservations be amended or reviewed.
The council while reminding the history of the urban local body election in Nagaland and the reason it kept delaying since its first election in 2004, expressed their “total resentment to conduct the ULB election” until the two sections of the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001, as mentioned by the 3 municipal bodies in their representation are amended in the interest of the entire Nagas.
According to the Council, it was due to “severe tug of war between the state Government and the various civil organizations of Nagaland and the Government’s persuasive attitude to conduct the ULB election with 33% Women reservation” that the ULB election was never held since its first in 2004.
The village council further reminded how the “Government in 2016-17 tried to conduct the ULB elections with 33% women reservation, by inserting rule 23A for reservation of one-third seats for women in the Municipal elections as mandated by 243T of the constitution of India, and pursued to suppress the general citizen of the Nagas.”
“The forcible act of the government ignited the fury of the general mass, which was protested by various Tribal bodies and organizations, spearheaded by the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), resulting in the burning and damage to Government buildings and properties and dead to 2 (two) innocent lives while several others injured. Thereby, the Government was compelled to withhold the ULB election by a Cabinet notification,” the Council reminded.
Therefore, given the past history, the village council hoped that “every stakeholder must have learned our lessons from those past events and the consequent miserable losses and regrets incurred due to our severe mistakes.”
“We have witnessed that forceful initiation by the Government with suppressive intentions in this matter will never succeed. Let us learn from those past ugly events we have come across and refrain from repeating the same mistake again,” the Kohima Village Council appealed and urged upon the Government to immediately amend the 2 mentioned sections by:
· Deleting the Tax on Land and Building section with all its related matters mentioned in various chapters of the NMA 2001 and publish the Amendment Notification in the Government Gazette
· Conducting ULB elections by formulating a policy for nominating Women with voting rights equivalent to 33% seats in lieu of a quota and reservation system.
According to the council, quota and reservation system are not a social practice in the Naga society and thus, infringes Article 371A while taxes on land and building directly violates Article 371A.
“In case the Government fails to listen and address the genuine demand of the people, and proceed with the election process regardless of endangering or infringing Article 371A, the people of the soil may resort to anything for protection and retention of their birthright,” the council cautioned, and informed all the intending candidates not to file nomination till the matter is settled.