JUDGMENT :

Heard Mr. K. Alin Rongmei, learned counsel for the petitioner and also heard Mr. L. T. Sangtam, learned Additional AG assisted by Mr. Veto V. Zhimomi, learned Government Advocate for the State of Nagaland and Mr. Pfosekho Pfotte, learned counsel for respondent No. 5. None appears for respondent No. 4.

2. By filing this writ petition, the petitioner had challenged the part of the Cabinet Decision 25.04.2017 and the State Government notification dated 26.04.2017 by which the recognition of Rongmei as one of the Naga tribes in the State of Nagaland vide notification dated 04.08.2012 has been withdrawn.

3. The petitioner, the Rongmei Council, is represented by its President, Shri. Chinkhiulung Gonmei. The facts projected by the petitioner are that historically, the Rongmei tribe in the then nomenclature of Kabui was already found recognized in 1891 Assam population census. Edward Trite Dalton in his Ethnology of Bengal, groups the Nagas broadly into two divisions-the Eastern and Western, separated by the river Dhansiri. Henry Dament, political Officer, Naga Hills in an official report of 1878-79 mentioned the existence of eighteen tribes, but the census of 1891 recognized the f