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A delegation of Naga chiefs said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured them that the Law Commission was considering the idea of excluding the Christian community and “certain tribes” from the proposed Unified Civil Code. The 12-member Naga delegation, led by Prime Minister Neviu Rio, met Shah on Wednesday to talk to him about various concerns of the state, including regarding the implementation of the ICU agreement and the lack of progress in the peace talks between India and Naga.
“We have been informed by the Home Secretary of Section 371(a), which applies to Nagaland and is based on a 16-point agreement signed between the Naga tribes and the Government of India in July 1960. According to this agreement, in addition to section 371(a), the freedom we exercise in our religious and cultural practices It cannot be prejudiced by any central law passed by Parliament. Only if such law is also passed by the State Assembly as a resolution, can it become applicable in the state of Nagaland,” said Nagaland government spokesperson and advisor to the ruling NDP Kennyi. .
“The Home Secretary has assured us that the exclusion of Christians (in Nagaland) and certain tribal communities from the scope of the UCC is being considered by the Law Commission,” Kenny added, speaking with Indian Express. He added that the Naga delegation was “reassured and very happy” with the response of the federal interior minister.
The 16-point agreement of 1960, on the basis of which Nagaland was granted state status in December 1963, protects Naga customary laws, social and religious practices, as well as lands and resources.
“There is a lot of discontent in Nagaland since the notification to the Law Commission. If the UCC is extended to Nagaland, it raises questions about the validity of Section 371(A), which is the only bridge between mainland India and the Naga people,” added Kenye.
He pointed out that previously the provisions of the article were not followed to the letter, especially with regard to the use of land and resources in the state, which could only be used by the Naga people. Naga leaders and critics say that despite attempts by several state governments in the past to begin drilling for oil and natural gas in the state by invoking Section 371(a), the moves have been repeatedly thwarted by the center, on the grounds that oil and natural gas are central topics.
Recently, by invoking section 371(a) the Nagaland Assembly can repeal the Urban Local Bodies Act 2001, bowing to pressure from the tribal bodies in the state. The state election commission pushed for the indefinite postponement of the state’s municipal elections, which had been scheduled for May. The case is now before the Supreme Court.
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