CONSTITUTION
OF THE
TANGKHUL KATAMNAO LONG DELHI (TKLD)

PREAMBLE

We, the Tangkhul Katamnao Long Delhi (TKLD) having solemnly resolved to constitute a union in conformity with the constitution of the Naga Student’s Union Delhi NSUD), pledge ourselves to look into the affairs and conduct of the Tangkhul Naga community; to cultivate and instil excellence in pursuit of education; to preserve, promote, and uphold socio-economic and cultural heritage; and to strengthen and consolidate the fraternity, unity, and integrity of the Tangkhul Naga community. The assembly of the General Body Meeting hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this constitution on this twenty-seventh day of May 2003.

ARTICLES

 Article 1: NOMENCLATURE

The name of the Union shall be called Tangkhul Katamnao Long Delhi (Tangkhul Naga Students’ Union Delhi).

 Article 2: MOTTO

“BUILD A BETTER TOMORROW”

 Article 3: EMBLEM

The Emblem consists of a Y shape TARUNG (totem post), with a man standing on the right side holding a KAZEI1 (spear) in his right hand and a woman standing on the left holding a ZEITHING2 (metal staff/sceptre) in her left hand. The TARUNG symbolizes traditional values such as nobility, generosity, and status, serving as a reminder of the legacy of communal sharing that acknowledges merit and upholds social status. The man with a KAZEI and the woman with a ZEITHING in colourful traditional attire signifies the youthful spirit of guardianship and keep alive the culture and identity of the Tangkhul Naga, symbolizing a quest for and dissemination of wisdom and knowledge, thereby engaging the pursuit of learning and knowledge of cultural heritage.

The circle represents the universe and the world. The background of the emblem is sky blue, TARUNG is black, motto and nomenclature are red.

  1. Kazei (Spear), a man holding a spear symbolises the strength, vitality, and virtue of the men. The spear represents masculinity for Tangkhuls, the spear is always in his grasp, being virtually part of him; when he is fighting, hunting, travelling, or at rest, when he lays it down, it is within reach, and he is never weary of honing and polishing.
  2.  Zeithing, embodies the essence of femininity, serving as a profound symbol of peace and harmony. Its graceful design reflects the nurturing qualities often associated with elegance. The Zeithing symbolises the strength and wisdom inherent in the feminine spirit to bring peace and unity.
Article 4: FLAG

There shall be a flag of the Union. The background of the flag shall be sky blue representing universality and the Union’s emblem shall be placed in the centre of the flag.

Article 5: MEMBERSHIP
  • (i) All Tangkhul Naga living in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) shall be members of the Union.
  • (ii) The members shall be categorized as:
  • (a) Active members – All the students and youth
  • (b) Associate members – All others (family and children below the age of 12 years)
  • (c) The membership fee for the associate members shall be lower than the active members. The amount of the membership fees shall be decided by the General Body Meetings from time to time.
  • (iii) Every member shall be a bona fide Tangkhul Naga, i.e., a member of any Tangkhul Naga clan.
  • (iv) Every Tangkhul Naga residing or living in Delhi and NCR must register with the Union and renew the same annually.
  • (v) Unregistered members shall not have voting rights, and the right to participate in sports and educational activities.
  • (vi) Collection of membership fees shall be the responsibility of the executive council (in coordination with the area coordinating secretaries).
  • (vii) Any member violating the Constitution of the Union shall result in forfeiting of the membership.
Article 6: JURISDICTION
  • (i) The TKLD is the apex Tangkhul Naga Students’ organisation in Delhi and NCR. There shall be no other Tangkhul student organisation (s) in Delhi and NCR. 
  • (ii) The jurisdiction of the Union shall cover Delhi and NCR.
  • (iii) The Union shall discourage any activities or propaganda which may breed 2 tribalism, and regionalism, and foster divisive forces in the society. No individual member or group of members shall organise any ‘all Tangkhul level social and cultural programme’ in Delhi and NCR without prior information and approval of the Union. There shall be no region-based (Raphei, Kharao, Kamo, etc.) social events.
  • (iv) The Union is empowered to take steps and actions in the event of any individual, group(s) or organisation (s) working against the interests and integrity of the Union. (v) The Union shall have the exclusive right to any aid or monetary collection in the name of all Tangkhuls in Delhi and NCR. 
  • (vi) The Union shall seek and accept contributions from its members, well-wishers, institutions, and other organisations for its functioning.
Article 7: OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
    1. The official language of the Union shall be Tangkhul and English.
    2. All official communication of the Union shall be Tangkhul and English.
Article 8: GENERAL BODY MEETING (GBM)
  1. The GBM constitutes the highest decision making body of the Union.
  2. There shall be mandatory Half Yearly and Annual GBM in a calendar year. Half Yearly GBM should be convened in September or October and Annual GBM should be convened in March.
  3. The quorum of GBM shall consist of three-fourths of the members of the executive council, one-tenth of the coordinating secretaries, and 30 members.
  4. In any critical event(s) or issue(s) affecting the Union and its member(s) and amendment(s) affecting the basic tenets of the constitution, the GBM will require a special quorum consisting of one-fifth of coordinating secretaries two-third of the member of the Advisory Board three-fourth of the members of the executive council and 50 members.
  5. The speaker may accept or reject the agenda after consultation with the executive council.
  6. In case of a deadlock or tie, the Speaker shall or can cast or exercised the voting right only to decide or resolved the deadlock or tie that exists.
  7. The provisions of emergency GBM:
    1. In the event of certain important case(s) or issue(s), requiring immediate deliberation and prompt action, the Speaker may call for an emergency GBM in consultation with the Executive Council and Advisory Board.
    2. Any decision(s) taken in an emergency GBM cannot be overruled except by a Half Yearly GBM or an Annual GBM.
  8. If the proposed or planned GBM is adjourned due to lack of quorum, it shall be held after seven days but not later than fifteen days and no quorum will be required.
  9. The GBM shall approve the budget of each tenure presented by the EC.
Article 9: EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (EC)
  1. There shall be an executive body of the Union, which shall be called the Executive Council.
  2. The Executive Council shall constitute or compose of the following members:
    1. President
    2. Vice President
    3. General Secretary
    4. Joint Secretary
    5. Finance Secretary
    6. Social and Cultural Secretary
    7. Game and Sports Secretary
    8. Public Relations Secretary
    9. Women Co-Ordinator
    10. Education Secretary
  3. There shall be NCR Representative or Executives in the Union, which consist of the following members:
  4.  GURGAON
    1. Vice President
    2. Public Relations Secretary (PRS)
    3. Women Co-Ordinator
  5. NOIDA
    1. Vice President
    2. Public Relations Secretary (PRS)
    3. Women Co-Ordinator
  6.  GHAZIABAD
    1. Vice President
    2. Public Relations Secretary (PRS)
    3. Women Co-Ordinator
Article 10: QUALIFICATION FOR THE CANDIDATES OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
  1. The candidate must be a bona fide and registered member of TKLD
  2. The candidate must not be a full-time employee.
  3. The President, Vice President, General Secretary, and Education Secretary should be a Graduate and the other should be 10+2 or above.
  4. The candidate must have completed two consecutive years in Delhi or NCR.
  5. The candidate should not be a married person.
  6. The Executive Member(s) is or are eligible for re-election up to two terms, but any member of the Executive Council who has lost the confidence of the House (impeached or removed) shall not be eligible for re-election.
Article 11: POWER, FUNCTIONS, AND DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

 Part A: The Executive Council

  1. The Executive Council shall implement or execute the decisions of the GBM.

  2. The Executive Council shall conduct a meeting once in two months and the quorum of such meeting shall be at least three-fourth of the member of the Executive Council.

  3. There shall be 2 or more Co-ordinating secretaries of every area or locality and shall function as long as they enjoy the confidence of the Executive Council. The Co-ordinating Secretaries shall function as per the terms of reference prescribed by the Executive Council.

  4. The Executive Council shall organise workshops, awareness campaigns, and seminars deem fit.

  5. The Executive Council shall organize orientation programmes and guide in admission processes.

  6. The Executive Council shall organise annual get-together (YARTHOT KAZIP), sports, literary meet, cultural and other activities.

  7. If circumstances so warrant, the Executive Council may collectively sanction an appropriate amount as may be required.

  8. The leave period of Executive Council members shall not exceed thirty days. Any Executive Council member(s) absence for three consecutive meetings with or without prior information, the absentee(s) posts shall be deemed as vacant, and the Executive Council shall present the case in the GBM.

  9. The jurisdiction of the NCR Representatives or Executives shall be confined to their respective regions.

  10. In the case of failure to collective decide in Executive Council meetings, the Advisory Board shall be consulted.

Part B: Powers and Functions of the Executive Council

 President

    1. The President shall be the head of the Executive Council.
    2. The President shall convene and preside all the meetings of the Executive Council.
    3. The President shall execute the powers and function of the Union in consultation with the members of the Executive Council.
    4. The President shall receive resignation tendered by any member(s) of the Executive Council or Committee(s) in consultation with the Executive council and forward it to the house in a GBM for approval.
    5. The President may sanction an emergency amount as and when required and shall give the report of the same to the Executive Council.

 Vice President

    1. The Vice-President shall assume all the powers and functions of the President in the absence or impeachment of the President.
    2. The Vice-President shall discharge the responsibilities of the Union as may be assigned by the President.
    3. The Vice-President shall oversee the admission processes and other literary events in consultation with the Executive Council.

 General Secretary

    1. The General Secretary (GS) shall record and maintain all minutes and proceedings of the Union’s meetings and activities.
    2. The General Secretary shall co-ordinate and supervises the activities of the Co- ordinating Secretaries.
    3. The General Secretary shall be responsible for all official correspondence of the Union.
    4. In the absence of the President and the Vice President, the GS shall lead the Executive Council.

 Joint- Secretary

    1. The Joint Secretary shall assume the power and functions of the General Secretary in the absence or impeachment of the latter.
    2.  The Joint Secretary shall discharge the responsibilities of the Union as and when assigned by the President or General Secretary.

Finance Secretary

    1. The Finance Secretary shall prepare the annual budget of the Union and present it before the first GBM of each tenure for necessary deliberation and approval.
    2. The Finance Secretary shall be the trustee of the Union’s treasury and the disbursing officer.
    3. In times of financial necessities, the finance secretary shall look over financial matters in consultation with the EC and coordinating with the Co-ordinating Secretaries.

 Education Secretary (ES)

  1. The Education Secretary shall assist the Vice President in admission processes.
  2. The Education Secretary shall look over all literary publications of the Union, including the Khanrin Magazine.

Social and Cultural Secretary (SCS)

    1. The SCS shall be responsible for organising and promoting social and cultural activities.
    2. The SCS shall discharge the responsibilities assigned by the Executive Council.

Games and Sports Secretary (GSS)

    1. The GSS shall be responsible for organising the annual games and sports of the Union.

Public Relations Secretary (PRS)

    1. The PRS shall be responsible for the publicity of the Union’s programmes and policies.
    2. The PRS shall maintain the census of the Union in coordination with the Co- ordinating Secretaries.
    3.  The PRS shall be responsible for advocacy and promotion of noble relationships and coordination within and outside Tangkhul community, Delhi, and NCR.

Women Co-Ordinator (WC)

    1. The WC shall assume the role of coordinating the participation of women members in the activities of the union.
    2. The WC shall be responsible for initiating activities or agendas concerning women.
    3. In the absence of a woman member in the Grievance Committee, the WC shall be a member of the Grievance Committee.
Article 12: COMMITTEES
Selection Committee
    1. The President shall be the Chairperson of the Selection Committee and one of the non- executive members of the committee shall be the Secretary of the Committee.
    2. There shall be a seven-member Selection Committee consisting of four members of the Union nominated by the House and three members of the EC (viz. President, General Secretary, and Women Co-Ordinator).
    3. The Selection Committee shall appoint the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Assembly Secretary, Grievance Committee members, Constitutional Crisis Committee members, Advisory Board, Khanrin Editors, and Election Commission.

 Auditors

    1. There shall be an Audit Committee constituted by the GBM comprising of three members before the end of the incumbent Executive Council’s tenure.
    2. The Audit Committee shall audit all the accounts and financial transactions of the union and shall submit the report to the GBM for scrutiny and approval.

 Grievance Committee (GC)

    1. There shall be a Grievance Committee of the Union with a Chairperson and four other members.
    2. An all-inclusive Grievance Committee should constitute, and matured members of the Union should include in the committee.
    3. The Chairpersons and members must belong to the Tangkhul community residing in Delhi & NCR.
    4. The tenure of the committee shall be in congruence with the tenure of the Executive Council.
    5. The functions of the Grievance Committee are to look into the disputes, grievances, and harassment complaints lodged by members of the Union and to redress, arbitrate, and address effectively.
    6. The Grievance Committee has no unilateral power or functions, the committee shall only address genuine grievances forwarded or call upon and working in tandem with the EC.
    7. All Grievance Committee report shall be submitted to the Executive Council for record and documentation.

Constitutional Crisis Committee (CCC)

    1. There shall be a Constitutional Crisis Committee of the Union composed of Chairperson and two members.
    2. An all-inclusive Constitutional Crisis Committee and matured or elders-based committee should establish.
    3. The immediate former President of the Union shall be the Ex-Officio member of the committee.
    4. The tenure of the committee shall be three years.
    5. The procedures, decisions, proceedings of the committee must be based on the principles of ‘natural justice’ (morally right and fairs mean).
    6. The committee shall intervene when the conduct of the EC, Committees and other bodies negatively disturbs the unity and integrity of the Union which laid down in the constitution (e.g., violation of constitution and abuse of power)
    7. The committee shall be responsible for the Union’s constitutional crisis or conflict in the functions of the EC, committees, and body of the union and the fundamental executing or governing rules of the union is perceived to be unable to resolve and incongruent with the Union constitution (e.g., interpretation of the Union’s constitution).
    8. The decision and proceeding of the Constitutional Crisis Committee shall be final and binding.
Article 13: ASSEMBLY AFFAIRS

 Speaker

The Rules, Qualifications, Power, and Functions

      1. There shall be a Speaker to preside over the GBM.
      2. The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker must be Graduate and should have stayed in the NCR of Delhi for not less than three years.
      3. The Assembly Secretary must be a graduate and should have stayed in Delhi & NCR for not less than a year.
      4. The speaker shall convene all the GBMs of the union after consultation with the Executive Council.
      5. The Speaker shall maintain decorum, adjourn, and prorogue the meeting and initiate disciplinary action against members indulging in unruly behaviour in the assembly.
      6. The Speaker shall decide the nature of GBM and the quorum thereupon as per the constitution.
      7. In case of lack of quorum, the Speaker shall adjourn the GBM, and, in such case(s), the Speaker shall convene the next GBM as per Article 8 of Clause (viii) of the constitution.
      8. The petition of ‘No Confidence Motion’ against the Deputy Speaker shall be submitted to the Speaker who shall convene a GBM in consultation with the Executive Council and in the absence of the speaker the petition shall be submitted to the Executive Council.
      9. In the circumstantial absence of both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, the GBM shall be convened by the Executive Council and in such cases, the House shall elect a Pro-tem Speaker for the GBM.

 Deputy Speaker

    1. The Deputy Speaker shall assume all the power and functions of the Speaker in the absence or impeachment of the Speaker.
    2. The petition of ‘No Confidence Motion’ against the Speaker shall be submitted to the Deputy Speaker who shall convene a GBM in consultation with the Executive Council and in the absence of the Deputy speaker the petition shall be submitted to the Executive Council.

 Assembly Secretary

    1. The Assembly Secretary shall ensure GBM and minuted.
    2. Maintaining effective records and administration of Assembly Affairs.
    3. All GBM related communication and correspondence shall be notified by the secretary after consultation with Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Article 14: ADVISORY BOARD (AB)
  1. There shall be an all-inclusive board consisting of a Chairperson and four members.
  2. The board shall aid and advise the Executive Council as and when the need arises.
  3. The roles and functions of the board shall be advisory in nature.
  4. In the event of en-mass resignation, constitutional crisis, ‘No confidence Motion’ against the whole Executive Council, etc., the AB shall act only as caretaker and work for the return to normalcy. During the period they shall not be entitled to take any major decisions.
  5. The Advisory Board shall continue its tenure until the nomination of a new Chairperson and members.
Article 15: NO CONFIDENCE MOTION (NCM)
  1. The members of the Executive Council shall hold office as long as they enjoy the confidence and trust of the House.
  2. At least Fifty or more members of the Union may move an NCM against one or more members of the Executive Council or any Committee by submitting a written petition to the Speaker stating the reason(s) as to why the member(s) concerned shall vacate the chair. The motion must be supported by substantial evidence(s) and documents (any ID cards) supporting the identities of all the signatories. Thereupon the Speaker shall convene a GBM within 10 days to take up the motion.
  3. In the event of NCM tabled against any Executive, the concerned person shall relinquish the chair or position until duly restored. In such circumstances, the Speaker shall decide the mode of voting.
  4. The Executive member(s) against whom an NCM is moved may defend or clarify before the House. The decision made by at least two-thirds of the members present and voting in the GBM shall be final and binding.
Article 16: AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
  1. Fifty or more members of the Union may move for amending any part(s) of the constitution by submitting a petition to the Speaker of the Union with a supportive explanatory note and documents (any ID cards) supporting identities of all the signatories.
  2. Any petition submitted for the amendment of the constitution shall be referred to the speaker who shall either accept or reject the petition after consultation with the Executive Council. The accepted petition shall be tabled in the house for necessary deliberation for approval by at least two-thirds of the members present by voting. Thereupon the house shall constitute or nominate a constitution amendment review committee.
Article 17: CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT OR REVIEW COMMITTEE
  1. The Constitution Amendment or Review Committee shall be appointed or nominated by the GBM.
  2. The committee shall be composed of Convenors and five members including the incumbent President as Ex-Officio members.
  3. The reviewed or amended draft must be presented in the GBM for approval within 6 months.
  4. If duly approve or accept by GBM, the amended or reviewed constitution shall be the new constitution of the Union.
  5.  If rejected by the GBM, the Constitution review committee must re-examine and incorporate the comments and suggestions provided in the GBM and present in the subsequent GBM for approval.
Article 18: ELECTION COMMISSION (EC)
  1. There shall be an Election Commission consisting of the Chief Election Commissioner and two commission members.
  2. The EC shall supervise and conduct the general election, mid-term, and by-election of the Executive Council of the Union.
  3. The EC should ensure the free and fair election of the Union.
  4. The EC shall be responsible for election schedule (opening and closing dates for nomination papers), place, preparation of electoral rolls, ballot papers, nomination papers, scrutinising the nomination files of the candidates.
  5. The EC shall also oversee polling, counting, declaration of the result, and ensuring the election model code of conduct.
  6. The nomination papers for candidates shall be proposed by one registered member and duly supported or seconded by two registered members of the Union.
  7. Withdrawal of candidature shall be done four days before the date of the election.
  8. The Election commission shall allow or accept the appointment of one person to be the counting agent of the candidate.
  9. In the event of a tie in the election, the EC shall decide by draw of lots. The decision of the EC shall be final.
  10. The incumbent EC shall continue their tenure till the constitution of the new commission.
Article 19: ELECTION

 Part A: Election

  1. There shall be only one election for Executive Council and NCR’s Executive or representative.
  2. The Election Commission shall conduct the election of the Union’s Executive Council and NCR’s Executive within March every year.
  3. In the event of the declared vacant post(s), a by-election shall be conducted within a month. However, if the post(s) remain vacant after such election, the election commission after consultation with the Executive Council shall nominate candidates of such post(s) with approval of the GBM.

 Part B: Election Rules and Procedure

  1. The election of the Executive Council shall be a secret ballot voting system.
  2. The Election Commission will have the power to disqualify the candidature of a candidate in case of violation of the union election model code of conduct laid down by the Election Commission.
  3. In case an incumbent executive member intends to contest election for any posts the concerned candidate shall tender resignation from the post intended candidate is holding at least one week before the filing of nomination.
  4. The Executive Council, NCR Executives, Committees, and all other official bodies of the union should not consist of more than one person or candidate from any village.
  5. The proposer and seconder for the candidate or candidature of any post should be present at the time of election (except in the case of emergencies).
  6. A person or candidate with a criminal background and facing felony, criminal or civil cases cannot be considered suitable for the election of any post in Executive Council.
Article 20: TENURE
  1. The tenure of the Executive Council shall be one year as per the calendar of the Union.
  2. The tenure of the Selection Committee members shall conform to the tenure of the incumbent Executive Council, during which it shall be the responsibility of the committee to appoint or nominate against any vacancy (specified in Article 12).
  3. The tenure of the Auditors, Grievance Committee, Khanrin Editors, Selection Committee, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Advisory Board shall be congruent with the tenure of the incumbent Executive Council.
Article 21: RESIGNATION
  1. The President shall tender a resignation letter addressing the Vice-President of the Union.
  2. All other executive members and other union officials shall tender a resignation letter addressing the union President.
  3. The GBM may accept or reject a resignation letter tendered by (any) executive members and members of the board and committees’ members of the union.
Article 22: REPRESENTATIVES TO THE NSUD

(a) The representative to the NSUD shall be the President, General Secretary, and the Women Co-Ordinator as per Article 19 of the constitution of the Naga Students’ union, Delhi (NSUD).

Article 23: NAGA STUDENTS’ UNION, DELHI (NSUD): ELECTION
  • (i) Any candidature for the post of president, general secretary, vice president, and speaker in the NSUD executive council should be discussed and approved in the halfyearly GBM of the Union (TKLD).
  •  (ii) All candidatures for the remaining post shall also be approved by the executive council, however, it shall not be mandatorily decided by the GBM of the Union (TKLD).
CONSTITUTION REVIEW COMMITTEE

 Note from the Constitution Review Committee

The constitution review committee is thankful for being entrusted with the task of reviewing the union’s constitution. Considering the constantly shifting environment and growing intricacies, the union’s framework too needs to evolve and grow while the core values and constitutional principles envisioned by its founding members are preserved. Following a series of meetings and extensive discussions and after incorporating the suggestions and recommendations of the GBM, the constitution was revised and refined without altering its foundational structure. With a deep appreciation for the constitutional integrity of the union, the committee took this responsibility with great humility and a strong sense of duty. The committee recognizes the invaluable contributions of Kahorngam Angelus Zimik, who served as the convenor, and Dr. Rammathot Khongreiwo as a member of the committee during the initial stages of the review process, as well as Hansing Ngangzoyo Ahungshi, a former president of the Union. We wish the Union to work smoothly and effectively so that it will continue to be the beacon and defender of the Tangkhul people and beyond. May God fulfil the purpose of the Union by raising God-fearing and fearless student leaders from generation to generation.