Naga tribal organisations on Monday continued with their indefinite stir by paralysing functioning of government offices, even as Nagaland Governor P B Acharya, Chief Minister T R Zeliang and tribal bodies have convened separate consultative meetings to resolve the ongoing crisis. Volunteers of tribal organisations have locked the main gates of government offices all around the state demanding resignation of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues. Watch What Else Is Making News Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) Kohima maintained that their demand for stepping down of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues is yet to be fulfilled and so the bandh against the government would continue. However, private establishments, commercial, financial and educational institutes are functioning smoothly. The Nagaland government has fulfilled two demands of the NTAC with regard to declaring the entire process of elections to urban local bodies as null and void and suspension of the police officers and personnel involved in the January 31 firing which led to the death of two youths. Prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC imposed since the night of February 2 in some areas of Kohima continue to remain in force while mobile data service and SMS are still not functioning for the last five days although there has been no official order to in this regard. Meanwhile, with National Highway 29 remaining closed due to protests, the state capital is facing shortage of petrol. There are around seven petrol pumps in and around Kohima and most of those have gone dry. Raj Bhavan sources said the Governor will hold a meeting with the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues, NTAC Kohima and church leaders to find ways to resolve the ongoing crisis. The NTAC Kohima, which is spearheading the protest against the government, has called a joint meeting of all tribal organisations in the state capital tomorrow. On Friday, an hour before the two youths killed in police firing were laid to rest, the Governor had assured NTAC that actions would be initiated against the wrong doers as per the provision of the Constitution. The Chief Minister has also appealed to all tribal hohos (organisations) in the state to attend a consultative meeting to discuss the various problems and issues arising out of the elections to Urban Local Bodies and how these issues can be resolved amicably. The consultative meeting with the tribal organisations is scheduled for tomorrow while the meeting with the apex bodies of tribal organisations will be held on Thursday. During an emergency meeting on Saturday, the state Cabinet has decided to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister to issue an ordinance to exempt the state from the provision of Part IX A of the Constitution. Part IX A of the Constitution deals with municipalities and urban local bodies and their composition.
