Tribals keep Nagaland government offices shut, to boycott CM's meeting

Tribal groups in Nagaland enforced their closure of government offices across the state on Monday also to press for resignation of Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang for deciding to conduct elections to urban civic bodied with 33 per cent reservation for women.

They also said they said they would boycott any meetings called by Zeliang.

"We will continue with our indefinite shutdown of government offices till Chief Minister and his council of ministers resign from their posts," Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) Convener K.T. Vilie told IANS.

Zeliang, who termed the demand for his resignation as "unreasonable" and "unconstitutional", has called for a consultative meet with all tribal Hohos and other bodies on February 8, to discuss the various problems arising out of the civic polls and to discuss how these could be resolved amicably.

 

Vilie however said that tribal bodies have decided to boycott Zeling's consultative meet.

"We have decided not to attend any meeting called by the Chief Minister or participate in any of his programmes. There is blood in his hands and therefore, we will not be part of his meetings and he should gracefully step down," he said.

Meanwhile, all government offices, including the Assembly secretariat and legislators' hostel have been under lock and key by the pressure group to prevent government employees from attending to their official duties.

Volunteers were on the roads to prevent government vehicles plying on the road, even as security forces were seen patrolling on the road to thwart from any untoward incident.

However, private and government educational institutions, banks and health centres have been exempted from the purview of the shutdown.

"No untoward incident has been reported so far. The shutdown has been peaceful. Police are keeping a watch on the strike and will function accordingly," Nagaland Police Chief L.L.Doungel told IANS.

The tribal bodies are demanding the resignation of the Zeliang ministry following the government's decision to hold local body elections in 12 towns across the state and the death of two persons in clashes between police and protesters at Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland, on January 31 night.

Various Naga tribal bodies opposed the 33 per cent reservation for women, saying that it will infringe on customary laws and also violate Article 371A of the Constitution that grants special status to Nagaland and guarantees preservation of such laws.

In fact, the Nagaland Assembly had rejected the 33 per cent reservation of seats for women under Part IXA of the Constitution) on the ground that it infringed upon Article 371A of the Constitution of India, after tribal bodies opposed the women's quota.

However, a communique issued from Zeliang's office stated that state Advocate General Vikramjit Banerjee and other legal experts have clearly opined that, at present, Nagaland is not exempted from the provision of Article 243T under Part IXA, and that Article 371A does not apply as the Constitutional provision only aim for participation in urban civic bodies.

The statement said that the state cabinet has decided to seek exemption of Nagaland from Part- IXA, which has to do with urban bodies, in the same way as Nagaland has been exempted from the application of Part-IX (73rd Amendment), which relates to panchayats.

Nagaland has never elected a women legislator since it gained statehood in 1963. The lone woman MP from the state was Rano M Shaiza, who got elected in 1977.

In the 2013 Assembly elections, two women candidates - one fielded by Bharatiya Janata Party and an Independent candidate - contested unsuccessfully.

--IANS

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