Forest Amendment Act unacceptable: Ex-Nagaland CM Dr Shürhozelie

Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 26

Former Chief Minister of Nagaland Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu on Saturday maintained that the Forest Conservation Amendment Act, 2023 would create problems in Nagaland, a state where “the ownership of land is peculiar.” 

In such a scenario, it cannot be accepted, he stated, speaking to media on the sideline of the ‘Freshers’ Meet-cum-Cultural Event’ of the Tenyimi Students' Union Dimapur held at Patkai Christian College (Autonomous) on August 26.

 “It (amended Forest Act) can be a law, but even law cannot be imposed in a matter like this. Your land is your property, your wealth. If your right is taken away over it, you cannot remain silent because it is law. So, for the Nagas, this is very dangerous,” he added. 

According to Dr Shürhozelie, who heads the Naga People’s Front (NPF), the Nagaland Legislative Assembly should pass a resolution to reject the amended Act altogether.

 He further replied in the negative when asked if the erstwhile Forest Conservation Act, 1980, was at all effective in Nagaland. 

He also opposed the move of the Union government to introduce the proposed Uniform Civil Code on the same line. 

“We cannot just take these things as the final, because time may come when we can change by ourselves all these rules,” he said. 

It must be noted here that the NPF, on August 6, announced its “outright” rejection of the Forest Conservation Amendment Act, 2023 and termed it “anti-tribal and anti-constitutional.”

Accordingly, the party made a strong recommendation to the Government of Nagaland (GoN) to “immediately pass an act/resolution that flatly rejects the amended Act,” in exercise of Article 371(A).

The GoN  must convene a special Assembly session or take up this issue in the upcoming Assembly Session which is scheduled from September 11 to “deliberate and pass an act to counteract the Bill,” added a statement issued by Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu, the Leader of NPF Legislature Party.