Dimapur, May 1 (MExN): The NPF is “shell shocked” and “completely taken aback” by a complaint written by Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee in-charge of Mokokchung Khutovi Sema to the chief election commissioner of India charging the NPF “on supposedly irrelevant violation of election model code of conduct.”
“It has set a dangerous precedence’s in the conscious of the Naga people that should be outrightly rejected. The ground of the NPCC requesting the chief election commissioner of India to call off and prevent the Chief Minister, his Council of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries to celebrate the Moatsu festival on the 2th May (Longkhum), 3rd May (Chuchuyimlang, Khar), 4th May (Mkg town) is totally anti- Naga,” stated Shilumar Ao, NPF media secretary.
The Moatsu is the most important traditional festival of the Ao Nagas and celebrated since time immemorial, the NPF stated. “Surprisingly, it was the Congress party which complained to the ECI that the by-election should not be held on a Sunday as it violates the religious practice of Nagas, protected under article 371-A. The ECI heeded and changed the election date to a Saturday. Therefore, the NPCC has no moral face to complaint to the ECI that Nagas, which includes CM, Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries cannot participate in customary festivals protected under article 371-A.”
The regionalists referred to article 371-A that “even parliament cannot make a law affecting religious and social practices, customary law and procedure of the Nagas.”
Therefore, the NPF stated, “when even a parliamentary law cannot prevent or interfere with this practices.”
“ECI is a very ordinary authority to be asked to interfere. The complaint is thus another blow to the constitutional protections given to the Nagas under article 371-A just like Jamir’s ‘bedrock of Naga society’.
Apparently, even before he is elected to the assembly, Jamir seems to have started practicing his ideas contained in the bedrock of Naga society by sponsoring such complaints against Naga customary life,” the NPF stated.
The party called it “quite tragic” that the NPCC, “without even appreciating the letter and spirit of the constitutional provision” had “sponsored such baseless and unconstitutional complains in its pursuit of power.” The NPF media cell stated the complaint is “intolerable and unsustainable before any constitutional authority of India” as “Article 371-A have precedence and overwriting affect over all laws of parliament and constitutional authorities including the ECI.”
The NPF stated that the NPCC should not try to “sale the identity of the Naga people as a cheap commodity to their infamous Delhi high command to fulfill their narrow electoral objective.”
“It has set a dangerous precedence’s in the conscious of the Naga people that should be outrightly rejected. The ground of the NPCC requesting the chief election commissioner of India to call off and prevent the Chief Minister, his Council of Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries to celebrate the Moatsu festival on the 2th May (Longkhum), 3rd May (Chuchuyimlang, Khar), 4th May (Mkg town) is totally anti- Naga,” stated Shilumar Ao, NPF media secretary.
The Moatsu is the most important traditional festival of the Ao Nagas and celebrated since time immemorial, the NPF stated. “Surprisingly, it was the Congress party which complained to the ECI that the by-election should not be held on a Sunday as it violates the religious practice of Nagas, protected under article 371-A. The ECI heeded and changed the election date to a Saturday. Therefore, the NPCC has no moral face to complaint to the ECI that Nagas, which includes CM, Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries cannot participate in customary festivals protected under article 371-A.”
The regionalists referred to article 371-A that “even parliament cannot make a law affecting religious and social practices, customary law and procedure of the Nagas.”
Therefore, the NPF stated, “when even a parliamentary law cannot prevent or interfere with this practices.”
“ECI is a very ordinary authority to be asked to interfere. The complaint is thus another blow to the constitutional protections given to the Nagas under article 371-A just like Jamir’s ‘bedrock of Naga society’.
Apparently, even before he is elected to the assembly, Jamir seems to have started practicing his ideas contained in the bedrock of Naga society by sponsoring such complaints against Naga customary life,” the NPF stated.
The party called it “quite tragic” that the NPCC, “without even appreciating the letter and spirit of the constitutional provision” had “sponsored such baseless and unconstitutional complains in its pursuit of power.” The NPF media cell stated the complaint is “intolerable and unsustainable before any constitutional authority of India” as “Article 371-A have precedence and overwriting affect over all laws of parliament and constitutional authorities including the ECI.”
The NPF stated that the NPCC should not try to “sale the identity of the Naga people as a cheap commodity to their infamous Delhi high command to fulfill their narrow electoral objective.”
