Nagaland govt to create territorial authority for six eastern districts

Kohima: In a significant development, the Nagaland cabinet on Wednesday accepted the proposal for granting and constituting a Frontier Nagaland Territory Authority (FNTA) comprising six Eastern districts of the state as demanded by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO).

With the formation of the proposed FNTA special powers would be granted to the six Eastern Nagaland districts -- Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang.

After the cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Government spokesperson and Cabinet Minister, C L John said that the council of ministry has decided that the state government would soon respond to the proposals of the Centre on the ENPO demand.

The Ministry of Home Affairs before the Lok Sabha polls sought the state government’s comments and proposal on the ENPO demand.

John told the media that the areas under the six Eastern Nagaland districts would be granted FNTA and they would continue to remain under Nagaland along with Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India, which grants special rights to the northeastern state.

The influential ENPO has recently 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.

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'.

A spokesman of the Naga body 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.

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 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