After the controversial appointment of Abdul Kayum Talukdar as the Gaonburah (GB) of New Market Colony in Dimapur came to light, the Rising People’s Party (RPP) of Nagaland has taken a strong stance on the issue, pledging to employ all available means to have Talukdar removed from his position.
In a statement to a local media outlet earlier this week, RPP President Joel Naga shared his personal perspective, asserting, “There should be no GBship in the town.” Naga highlighted the distinction between town GBs and their counterparts in villages, pointing out that “anyone can be appointed for town GBs.” He underscored the pivotal role GBs play, especially in the issuance of residential proof certificates, and argued that this issue is intertwined with concerns about illegal immigration, urging the Nagas to take the matter seriously.
However, K Hokuto Zhimomi, President of the Dimapur District GB Association, expressed disappointment to Joel’s opinion that there should be no GBship in the town, and regretted that Joel had inadvertently antagonized all town GBs.
Zhimomi clarified the association’s stance, saying, “We want to explain to him the importance of GBs in the town. We wish to rectify his concern and misconception about town GBs which is why we have issued a show-cause notice.”
According to reports, the Dimapur District GB Association has issued a 14-day show-cause notice to Joel.
In response to these developments, Joel told Mokokchung Times that he is yet to receive the “so-called show-cause notice.”
“I have seen YouTube videos where they discussed the show-cause notice, but I have not received the actual content yet. We will provide a comment at the appropriate time after reviewing the notice,” he remarked.
The appointment of a non-indigenous non-Naga as the GB has sparked a division among netizens, with many calling for Talukdar’s removal from the position. In the midst of this controversy, the Muslim Council Dimapur clarified that they did not recommend Talukdar for the GB role.
K Hokuto Zhimomi disclosed that the concerned GB Association has formed a 5-member fact-finding committee to ascertain the truth about Talukdar and his appointment. Zhimomi added that their decision on whether Talukdar can continue as GB or not will be based on the findings of this committee. Talukdar was reportedly appointed as a GB in 2008 by the then DC Dimapur, Maong Aier.
This controversial issue came to light following a clarification from the NSCN-IM on 2 October when the NSCN-IM offered a counter-narrative to the arrest of two of its members by the Dimapur Police on Saturday in connection with the “kidnap” of Abdul Kayum Talukdar, the Gaon Burah (GB) of New Market Dimapur.