Nagaland govt to move resolution denouncing Forest Act, UCC

Nagaland government will move a resolution in the state Assembly denouncing the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act and the proposed Uniform Civil Code

Kohima: The Nagaland government will move a resolution in the state Assembly denouncing the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act and the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Government spokesperson and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Power, K.G. Kenye, said the four-day Assembly session is scheduled to begin on September 11. The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) led coalition government in Nagaland had earlier expressed its reservation over both the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act and the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

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With 12 MLAs, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also a partner of the government. “The government held consultative meetings on Friday with apex tribal bodies and civil society organisations (CSOs) of the state and decided to move the resolution,” Kenye told the media.

He said several Naga civil society groups and intellectuals expressed concern that the Forest Act might infringe upon the special rights guaranteed under Article 371A of the Constitution. Article 371A grants special protection to the Nagas in Nagaland on traditional customary, religious and social practices and also on ownership and transfer of land and its resources.

At Friday’s meeting, the tribal bodies and CSOs urged the government not to enforce the Act in the state, he said. In July this year, the Nagaland government had requested the Law Commission to exempt the state from the purview of UCC.

The minister had earlier said that the state government officially made the submission to the 22nd Law Commission during the recent visit of a ministerial team led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to Delhi.

He said the team also met Home Minister Amit Shah and the latter assured that the Centre is considering exempting Christians and some tribal states from the purview of UCC.

“People of Nagaland will not accept the imposition of UCC and they are against even with the idea of such enactment of it. There are resentments from all quarters with tribal bodies and civil society organisations openly declaring not to accept the imposition of UCC,” Kenye stated.