Kohima, Jan 15 (IANS) The leaders of Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), which has been demanding a separate ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT)’ comprising six districts for seven backward tribes, on Wednesday, discussed their demands with adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) A. K. Mishra.
Officials said that senior Nagaland government officials were also present in the tripartite meeting, which discussed granting a certain level of autonomy to the region, comprising six eastern districts of the state.
After the five-hour long meeting, held in the police complex of Chumoukedima district, ENPO President A. Chingmak Chang said that the key issues were discussed in the meeting and the discussions were very “positive”.
“We have discussed the unemployment issue and to modernise the Village Guards deployed in the Eastern Nagaland districts. The MHA officials agreed on these issues,” Chang told the media.
He said: “The proposed autonomy to Eastern Nagaland must be given with executive, legislative and financial autonomy. Without these provisions, we would not sign any documents. Some of the key issues still remain unresolved and these would be discussed in the next meeting.”
Refusing to disclose all the matters discussed in the meeting, the ENPO leader said that they trust the assurances of the MHA officials and are hopeful of solutions to their long-pending demands.
The first round of tripartite talks between the central government, ENPO and Nagaland government representatives was held in Delhi on December 13 last year.
Nagaland state Cabinet in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on October 30 last year deliberated on the pending demand of the ENPO. The ENPO press and media cell on Tuesday asserted that while granting FNT, MHA must clarify its stance in resolving the historical and political aspirations of the Eastern Nagas without further delay.
Since 2010, the ENPO has been demanding a separate ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’ or separate state comprising six eastern Nagaland districts — Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang, inhabited by seven backward tribes — Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Tikhir, Sangtam, and Yimkhiung.
On January 12, the ENPO held a consultative meeting with the Eastern Nagaland Legislator’s Union (ENLU) in Dimapur, with the primary objective to ensure a unified stance while engaging with the central government.
In all, 20 MLAs are members of the ENLU.
ENPO leaders claimed that the eastern Nagaland areas have been neglected in all sectors since Nagaland state was created in 1963.
With the formation of the proposed FNT, special powers are likely to be granted to the six Eastern Nagaland districts.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had, before the last year’s Lok Sabha polls, sought the state government’s comments and proposal on the ENPO demand.
People of the six Eastern Nagaland districts abstained from the last year’s June 26 civic body elections and last year’s Lok Sabha elections on April 19 after the ENPO gave the vote boycott call in support of their demands.
The ENPO and its allies had given a call to boycott the Assembly elections held in February 2023 but withdrew it later following an assurance from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Nagaland has 60 Assembly seats and 20 of them are in these six districts.
–IANS
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