Mokokchung, 1 December (MTNews): The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) on Friday stated that a series of meetings for formation of “Apex Body of Naga Tribes of Nagaland” were held recently but not even once was the NTC invited or officially communicated on the matter.
“The opinion of NTC is not sought at all and that the proposal is with the sole intention to jeopardize the NTC functioning”, the NTC said in a statement issued by its media cell, adding, “Therefore, implication on NTC in any manner is not correct, hence unacceptable.”
It further stated that the proposal for the formation of the proposed Apex Body of Naga Tribes of Nagaland is “still secret with the organizers” apparently.
“If at all it is required all the sixty (60) Elected Members of NLA must have the consensus first,” it also said.
In the press release, the NTC also described what it said was “the eruption of social unrest for want of justice” leading to the formation of NTC as the “Tribal Apex Body of Nagaland” in 2013.
“The issue was the State Government’s contemplation to recognize Mao Naga tribe as an Indigenous Tribe in the state of Nagaland without territorial integration. However, at that point of time, there was no proper platform to address such issues to the extent of challenging or defending one’s own right,” it explained.
“Adding salt to the wounds it was brought to the knowledge of the house that the Rongmei tribe was already recognized as Indigenous tribe in the state of Nagaland a year back,” it added. It also cited the state government proposing a plan to earmark the foothills sector in the state as the “Nagaland Special Development Zones (NSDZ)” as another reason.