Kohima, 27 March (MTNews): The tribal hohos of Nagaland have resolved to boycott the ULB election if the government fails to adhere to their demand which is to defer the ULB polls until and unless the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 is reviewed and rewritten.
This resolution was one among the seven resolutions the hohos made following a consultative meeting of the tribal hohos of Nagaland on 27 March at Commissioner’s Guest House, Kohima where they observed that the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 is a “burrowed Act” and, therefore, in the context of the Naga people, any Part/Section of the Act that infringes Article 371A should be “reviewed and rewritten in complete consonance with the voice of the Naga people.”
The hohos in their resolution also reiterated that the word “omission/omitted” used in the subsequent amendments of Nagaland Municipal Act 2001, in respect to “Land and Building Taxation”, “Scheduled Caste” and in sections wherever they occur, should be totally substituted with the word “deletion/deleted.”
Regarding the reservation of the office of the Chairperson of ULBs for women, the hohos called it ‘unacceptable’ stating that it is a ‘deprivation provision to the rightful candidate’.
“The office of the Chairperson by reservation or by rotation should be totally revoked/annulled so that the elected members can elect the rightful candidate who is a Scheduled Tribe Indigenous Inhabitant of Nagaland to the office of the Chairperson from among themselves, be it man or woman, democratically,” the hohos stated.
The hohos also demanded a “Clean Chit/Guarantee” be given to the people of Nagaland by the Government of Nagaland stating that “33% Women Reservation” does not infringe Article 371-A before rushing to conduct the Urban Local Body election.
The hohos further demanded the government to clearly specify the tenures or the time duration of the application of 33% Women Reservation.
“The duration of the application of 33% Women Reservation should not exceed more than two tenures,” the hohos suggested and concluded that until and unless the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 is reviewed and rewritten, ULB election may be deferred.
“If the government fails to adhere to the demands, the tribal hohos shall be compelled to boycott the ULB elections,” the hohos maintained, adding, if the demands are timely fulfilled, the tribal hohos assure fullest cooperation to the government in the conduct of ULB elections.