Naga’s unity is more important than the recognition of Rongmei tribe in Nagaland. Opposition to the recognition of Rongmei tribe was started from Zeliang and now followed by Ao, Sema and Lotha and many more may come out. Rongmei should not take Nagaland Nagas that they are against the Rongmeis but their many circumstances and situations in the road of Naga National Movement which has been producing many unwanted elements inside the Nagas that may compelled the Nagas to come out against the Rongmei Tribe unwillingly since there’s no any reason against the Rongmei Tribe.
This is my humble appeal to the Rongmei in Nagaland to drop the tribe recognition agenda for the sake of Nagas Unity and let us wait until the goodwill of the people prevail.
Rongmeis should realized that your tribe is already recognized as Scheduled Tribe in the first batch of Government of India in 1956 as a Kabui and it was corrected recently as in Rongmei in 2012. Besides this, Rongmei Tribe is recognized by the British before the India Independence by the Uprising of Rongmei during 1891-1894 against the British forced tax/forced Cooli and forced labour of road construction (Manipur British Administrative Report 1893-1894 ) followed by the Naga Raj Movement under the leadership of Heipou Jaduannang and Rani Gaidinliu (1925-1940) This recognition is big enough among the Naga Tribes and let us not try to make ourselves for small recognition again in any state of the country but let us make our effort though it may be small for the unity among the Nagas.
G. Gaingam Former Vice President Naga Hoho
