Kohima: The Rongmei Naga Indigenous Forum of Nagaland (RNIFN), an organization from the Rongmei Naga community has expressed willingness for a dialogue ‘with any unconvinced party’ concerning the Nagaland Government’s attempt to accord the community, the status of scheduled Naga tribe of Nagaland and one which the Naga stratum is opposing.
The RNIFN in a press release, appealed to the newly set up five-member committee by Nagaland Government to revisit the earlier report on Rongmei recognition in Nagaland as the 17th Naga Tribe of Nagaland, to uphold the integrity, impartiality and Constitutional values with all fairness in the eyes of God and men, the organization stated.
The RNIFN said that it ‘sincerely appreciate’ the sentiments of the people in Nagaland opposing the recognition of the Rongmei. The Nagaland Cabinet’s decision in 2012 recognized only 1, 313 ‘genuine members who have been settled in the state prior to 1963,’ the organization stated. The RNIFN claimed that the 1, 313 indigenous Rongmei persons are ‘Nagas of Nagaland’ and it would be ‘wrong to interpret them as Rongmei from Manipur or Assam ‘just because they are scattered in three states’.
The organization has urged the Naga people to ‘feel our pulse and tell if we all can live in harmony as one Naga family of Nagaland and have appealed to them to look into the matter in correct perspective without any bias or tribal colors and consider their constitutional rights as any Indian tribal deserves.
The RNIFN asserted that Rongmeis are also all ‘Nagas by blood’ and Christians by faith. It said that Nagaland’s love and brotherliness in this regard shall be greatly cherished by them, the Indigenous Rongmeis of Nagaland, the release said. (UNI)