DIMAPUR, March 31 - The Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland), headquartered at Jalukie in Peren district, has expressed concern over the recognition of Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei � collectively known as Zeliangrong � as separate tribes by the NSCN (I-M) and called the decision of the outfit �arbitrary.�
The �tatar hoho� (parliament) of the NSCN (I-M) at a meeting held at its headquarters at Camp Hebron on March 23 recognised Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei as separate tribal communities.
Zeliangrong Baudi (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland), in a statement on Saturday, said the NSCN (I-M)�s recognition of Zelinagrong as three separate tribes was in pursuant to the directive of the outfit�s vice president on March 17.
The organisation has called a consultative meeting of all the leaders of Zeliangrong civil organisations, social leaders, politicians, government officers, intellectuals, scholars, academicians, religious leaders, women leaders, members of village authorities, gaonburhas, senior leaders, elders and also youth and student leaders to discuss the �arbitrary decision� of the NSCN (IM) at its headquarters at Jalukie at 11 am on April 3.
However, the Rongmei Naga People�s Organisation (RNPO), the apex body of Rongmei people living in the three States of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, has hailed the NSCN (I-M) decision. It said the clubbing of these groups as a single tribe under the nomenclature of Zeliangrong had created confusion and suppressed their right to assert their separate identities.
The RNPO, in a press release, also termed as baseless the claims of certain Zeliangrong organisations that the tatar hoho�s decision was taken without prior consultation of people and rubbished their appeal for revocation of the decision.
The organisation said the decision was taken after a series of meetings and discussions at the joint council meeting of Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei tribes at a hotel in Dimapur on September 22, 2015.
