A notification issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Kohima regarding the “publication of the draft updated list of Non-Naga Local Indigenous Nepal/Gorkha residents under Kohima District” has drawn anger from civil organisations since it appeared in local dailies on 22 August 2023. The reason for the outrage is the qualifying date for inclusion in the list mentioned in the notification as “up to June 11, 2016”, against the Government of Nagaland order of 28th April 1978, which clearly specifies the qualifying date as 1st December 1963.

Organisations including the Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC), Concerned Citizens (CC) and now the Lotha Hoho have come out strongly with their objections to the notification, demanding that the State Government and the DC to revoke the order.

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NTC described the act as “disturbing” and “highly irregular”, while CC stated, “It is a serious breach of confidence and interference in the societal order and peaceful co-existence in the society.” The Lotha Hoho iterated the sentiments of the other two organisations and said that it “fail to understand as to how the Deputy Commissioner, can set his own arbitrary date as the cut off date for eligibility, to be indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland.”

The Nagaland Government Notification No, AR-8/8/76, dated Kohima the 28th April 1978 says:

“1. The Governor of Nagaland is pleased to decide that in order to qualify as an “Indigenous Inhabitants” of the State of Nagaland for the purpose of employment as envisaged in the order No. APPT-18/6/67 dated 6-7-73, a person should have settled permanently in Nagaland prior to 1-12-1963. The following shall be the criteria for determining a person to have had a permanent settlement in the State prior to 1-12-1963.

(1) His/her name or name of parents or legitimate guardians, in case the person was then a minor, should have been entered in the Electoral Roll published on 5-12-1963.

OR

(2) The person or his/her parents or legitimate guardian should have been paying house tax prior to 1-12-1963

OR

(3) The person or his/her parents or legitimate guardian should have acquired property and patta on it prior to 1-12-1963.”

The organisations also pointed out that even the Register of Indigenous Inhabitant of Nagaland (RIIN) Commission report the eligibility cut off date is to be 1st December 1963.

Lotha Hoho mentioned in its press release that the Deputy Commissioners of Dimapur, Chumoukedima and Nuiland have also issued similar Notifications earlier and that the Lotha Hoho opposes the actions of the Deputy Commissioners “who have all set their own Qualifying dates for Eligibility; under RIIN.”

“The State of Nagaland is not up for grabs and the DC or any other person irrespective of their official standing should not meddle with matters of such sensitive nature affecting the social fabric that has the potential to conflagrate,” the Concerned Citizens had said. “Not only the people of Kohima, but all right thinking citizens and organizations across the state should oppose such mischievous, biased and prejudiced notification order that has the potential to create social and civil unrest in the Naga society,” CC added.

Lotha Hoho too urged all concerned Nagas “to note this error and to oppose the arbitrary actions of the Deputy Commissioners,” while Nagaland Tribes Council objected, “The State of Nagaland is not a dumping territory where everyone could become Indigenous on entry. This belief is wrong and unacceptable.”