It appears that the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 has faced opposition from various groups in Nagaland, who argue that the law goes against the spirit of Article 371A of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees precedence to customary law and social or religious practices of the Nagas. In response to these concerns, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution unanimously calling for the repeal of the Municipal Act and the enactment of a new law that takes into consideration the grievances of all interested parties.
The issue was discussed during the ongoing assembly session, with MLA’s from all political parties participating. State advocate general KN Balgopal also provided a legal explanation on the matter, which had previously reached the Supreme Court. While the state election commission had set May 16 as the date for municipal polls following a directive from the Supreme Court, civil society organizations threatened to boycott the polls unless the Municipal Act was overhauled to align with Article 371A.
It appears that the state government had received reports indicating that the law and order situation could deteriorate if elections were held without addressing the demands for changes to the Nagaland Municipal Act. The cabinet held two meetings to try and resolve the situation, but it became clear that there would be a boycott of the elections by tribal bodies and other organizations. The assembly resolution states that in such circumstances, the cabinet referred the matter to the Legislative Assembly for discussion, and the assembly has now resolved that the elections cannot be conducted unless the Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 is repealed.
