WC NNPGs urge Nagaland state government to act on NPNG PIL and delimitation

The Working Committee (WC) of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) has urged the Nagaland state government to take a firm stand on two critical issues: the suo moto PIL on the Nagaland Petroleum & Natural Gas (NPNG) Rules and regulations and the delimitation of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies. In a letter addressed to Nagaland Chief Minister, signed by top NNPG leaders, they called for immediate action to protect the interests of the Naga people.

The letter, signed by Gen. (Retd.) MB Neokpao Konyak, President of GPRN/NSCN (U) and Convener of WC/NNPG; P Tikhak Naga, Ato Kilonser of NSCN/GPRN (R) and Working Convener of WC/NNPG; and Col (Retd) Isak Sumi, Ato Kilonser of NSCN/GPRN (K) and Working Convener of WC/NNPG, stated that the suo moto PIL on the constitutionality of Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas (NPNG) rules and regulations is scheduled for a hearing before the Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court on March 24, 2025.

The NNPGs emphasized that since the Nagaland government has positioned itself as a facilitator of the Indo-Naga peace talks, it has a responsibility to “place the facts before the Hon’ble court that the matters deliberated in the court are subjects of Political Negotiations between Nagas and the Government of India.”

They further argued that “any deliberation on the matter or a direction of the court will be an infringement on the Indo-Naga Peace talks since the subject matter has been negotiated and already has a settled position.” The letter questioned the silence of the Union of India, urging the state government to ask “why the apex court has been kept uninformed on the status of Indo-Naga political talks.”

They called on the Chief Minister to issue “necessary directions to the Advocate General on the matter, so that the rights of the people of Nagaland are protected under your esteemed leadership.”

Opposition to delimitation, demand for special provisions

On the issue of delimitation of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies, the NNPG leaders raised concerns over the failure of the Solicitor General for the Government of India to inform the Supreme Court about the status of the Indo-Naga peace talks.

They pointed out that the political negotiations concluded on October 31, 2019, and as part of the agreement, the Government of India had agreed to increase the number of seats in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly to 80 to ensure representation for all 17 Naga tribes in both the Assembly and the State Cabinet. Additionally, the agreement included a proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats from one to three.

The letter noted that “such a settled position was reached for ratifying special provisions and status that the Nagas have in the Union of India.” They stressed that the Government of India had agreed to the proposal after prolonged negotiations with the Working Committee (WC) of NNPGs.

Highlighting concerns over census data being used for delimitation, they stated, “As the state government is in the process of implementing the Registration of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), the previous census records have no validity in the state, and Delimitation under the present consideration of census is not acceptable.”

The NNPGs, therefore, demanded the state government to take immediate measures to stop the delimitation process and to “strongly convey the resentment of the people of Nagaland to the Union Government for its failure to apprise both the Hon’ble High Court of Guwahati and the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India on the already settled political position in the Indo-Naga Peace Talks.”

MT