Dimapur, December 29 (MExN): Reacting to opposing views coming from various quarters on the creation of new districts in Nagaland, the Chümoukedima Circle Chakhroma Public Organization (CCCPO) has requested the Government “not to entertain anymore request for reducing the size of new Chümoukedima district.”
Clarifying its stand on the issue, the CCCPO issued a press release on Wednesday stating that the issue of proposal for creation of Chümoukedima District was put up by elected Cabinet members including Dimapur elected members and “the creation of Chümoukedima District is purely a prerogative of the State Cabinet.”
The CCCPO said that when the Government decided to upgrade the erstwhile Dimapur Sub-Division to a full-fledged district with Chümoukedima as district headquarter through a notification on December 2, 1997, “there was stiff resistance to shift the district headquarter to Chümoukedima and even after 24 years the Government failed to implement its decision.” However, the decision to create a separate district, it said, would “take care of the interest of the people and also gainfully utilize the new infrastructures created for DC complex at Chümoukedima.”
While acknowledging the ‘wise decision’ of the Government to club the contiguous areas of Seithekiema EAC Circle, Medziphema ADC and Dhansiripar Sub-Division into a single Chümoukedima district, it underlined that the concerns raised by five elected members and the memorandum of GB Union East Dimapur with regard to shifting 22 villages under Seithekiema EAC Circle to Dimapur District were addressed by the government.
“However, after declaration of Chümoukedima district, some villages… are still trying to merge with Dimapur District. Therefore, we wish to make it clear that this demand cannot be accepted by the CCCPO as the district boundary cannot be decided purely on tribal lines,” it maintained.
Addressing the demands for shifting of some villages under Dhansiripar Sub-Division to Dimapur district, the CCCPO stated that it was “of the firm opinion that it is not possible as Dhansiripar Sub-division and the new Dimapur District are not at all contiguous.” Justifying its stance by putting on record that the new Niuland district was also created by clubbing the contiguous administration units of Niuland Sub-Division, Nihokhu EAC Circle, Aghunaqa EAC Circle, as well as Kuhuboto Sub-divison which was under Dimapur administration, the CCCPO maintained that would “vehemently oppose any attempt to bifurcate Dhansiripar Sub-division from the newly created Chümoukedima district.”
Further, the release stated that Seithekiema EAC Circle “is justified to be upgraded as a sub-division longtime back.” However, the CCCPO had so far not placed any demand for upgradation of Seithekiema EAC Circle to a Sub-Division with the hope of locating the district headquarters at Chümoukedima, it said, while adding that the CCCPO would “not tolerate any more attempts to marginalize our legitimate rights of being located in a contiguous area.”
In case the government fails to heed its appeal, the CCCPO asserted that it would demand for cancellation of the newly created districts and "revert back to the original order of 1997 with Dimapur district headquarter at Chümoukedima.”
