Zeliang holds meeting with Naga leaders; NTAC, JCC absent

Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang today held a meeting with civil society leaders on the ongoing crisis in the state arising due to announcement of reservation for women in Urban Local Bodies (ULB) polls, but the two major organisations spearheading the movement did not participate.
The three-hour-long consultative meeting was attended by around 50 Naga leaders and "fruitful discussion" was held on the entire sequence leading to the present crisis, CMO officials said.
The meeting, they clarified, was not called to adopt any resolution but to make the leaders understand the position of the state government on the issue, which would lead to the finding of an amicable solution.

Zeliang's cabinet colleagues also took part in the meeting which was not attended by Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC)-- the two bodies leading the protests.
NTAC and JCC had yesterday declared they would not attend the consultative or any other meeting convened by the Chief Minister unless he steps down as demanded by them.
They also asked Zeliang to specify the "vested interests" allegedly involved in the present crisis.

Without naming any individual or group, Zeliang had yesterday said, "Some vested interests are taking advantage of the public movement and turning it into a politically motivated situation."

NTAC and JCC said since the CM did not specify the "individual", party or organisation involved, "it appeared he was making a false allegation to dilute the issue and to derail the ongoing movement".
On Zeliang's contention that he is ready to step down if majority of the MLAs were against him, the two bodies said it was not about majority support, but their demand was made on moral grounds as three people were killed and several others injured in the violence over ULB elections.
"As Zeliang was elected by the people of Nagaland, he is answerable to them," they said in a statement.

The CM has convened separate meetings tomorrow with tribal apex bodies like Naga Hoho, Central Nagaland Tribes Council, Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation and President Gaon Burahs Federation.
The present impasse began in Nagaland since the state government decided to go ahead with the ULB elections with 33% reservation for women.
The tribal bodies opposed the election claiming that it infringed on the special rights guaranteed for the state under Article 371(A) of the Constitution.