Autonomous territory: Naga body issues deadline for state govt’s response to Centre

Kohima: The influential Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) has requested the state government to send its comments on the draft of the separate 'Frontier Nagaland Territory' memo to the Central government on or before October 31, its officials said on Saturday.

The Centre had earlier asked the Nagaland government, headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, to give its comment on the highlights of a draft ‘Memorandum of Settlement (MoS)’ proposed to be signed with the ENPO on the 'Frontier Nagaland Territory'.

An ENPO spokesman said that the organisation held coordination and consultative meetings of frontal and tribal organisations on Friday at Mon town in Mon district, which shares borders with Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.

"The coordination and consultative meeting unanimously resolved to request the Nagaland government to send its comment on the MoS concerning FNT on or before October 31," the ENPO spokesman told the media.

He said that the ENPO had earlier submitted a letter on August 23 requesting the Nagaland Chief Minister and a follow-up reminder note was sent on September 14 to send the state government’s comments as expected by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The spokesman said that on December 18 last year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had handed over the “Highlight of the draft MoS with ENPO on FNT” to the state government for its comment at the earliest.

"However, the issue is being stalemated till date for reasons best known to the state government. The ENPO once again reminds the Chief Minister to consider the need of the Eastern Nagas in its quest to fulfil its long-cherished aspiration," he said.

According to the spokesman, the Central Executive Council Meeting of the ENPO would be held on November 1 where further course of action on the matter would be discussed.

Since 2010, the ENPO has been demanding a separate ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’ or separate state comprising six Eastern Nagaland districts inhabited by seven backward tribes -- Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Tikhir, Sangtam, and Yimkhiung. People of the six Eastern Nagaland districts -- Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang – abstained from the June 26 civic body elections and 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 last year 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. Nagaland last year observed its 60th statehood day with the mega celebration of the famous Hornbill festival and people of the six eastern Nagaland districts boycotted the gala events.

Chief Minister Rio earlier said that the state government has proposed the constitution of an autonomous body for the development of Eastern Nagaland and its people.

IANS