Nagaland Govt clarifies on recognition of Rongmei tribe

Kohima: The Nagaland Government has clarified that Scheduled Tribe Certificate and Indigenous Tribe Certificate would be issued only to those members of the Rongmei tribe, who or whose ancestors were enumerated in the 1963 electoral roll of the state and whose names were enumerated in the report of the committee in May, 2012.
According to official sources today, the State Home Department in a communique said the clarification has been issued as there have been numerous references on the issue by various individuals, tribal hohos including Government officials which had further confused the public.
The Cabinet on July 23, 2012 had taken a suo motu cognizance of the issue of the recognition of Rongmei which was first raised by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation.
The official report said the Cabinet discussed the report of the Committee on the issue of granting the status of indigenous Naga tribe to the members of Rongmei community and accepted the recommendation of the Committee and agreed to recognise Rongmei as one of the Naga tribes.
However, in view of the fact that Rongmei tribe is also one of the indigenous tribes of neighbouring Manipur and Assam States, Scheduled Tribe Certificate and Indigenous Tribe Certificate will be issued only to those members of the Rongmei tribe, who or whose ancestors were enumerated in the 1963 electoral roll of the State and whose names are enumerated in the report of the Committee dated May 2012, said the communique. The number of Rongmeis presently stood at 1,313, according to all names and details appearing at Para 2.7 and 2.8 of the Committee Report.
The Home Department reminded that the recognition of Rongmei as a Naga tribe was taken up after recommendation of the Zeliangrong Baudi, (ZB) Zeliang People’s Organization (ZPO) and Naga Hoho. However, ZPO chose to backtrack and took recourse to legal means against the recognition and a case was filed in the High Court and the matter was now sub-judice and the Government was awaiting the final verdict of the High Court, the official release said. (UNI)