ENPO issue: CM Rio & team camping in Delhi to meet PM, HM

CM Rio and his entire Cabinet is hoping for an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shah

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio along with his entire 11-member cabinet is in Delhi hoping for a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the Centre’s proposal of granting an autonomous council or territory with legislative, executive, administration, and financial autonomy covering the six districts of Eastern Nagaland as demanded by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO).

ENPO represents the Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Sangtam, Tikhir, and Yimkhiung communities of Eastern Nagaland and had been demanding for a separate state since 2010.

Informed sources told Northeast Live that the delegation has also sought an appointment with the Centre’s interlocutor for Naga talks, AK Mishra, to discuss the Centre’s proposal.

The Centre’s proposal indicated the establishment of a Frontier Naga Territory that would have 40 elected members and 9 elected members where 45 departments would be brought under the administrative setup.

After receiving the proposal, the Nagaland government was supposed to have given its feedback. It had convened a consultative meeting on June 30 where legislators of the 6 Eastern districts, leaders of 6 tribal bodies were invited, but the meeting was postponed.

Sources said that the delegation led by Chief Minister Rio is likely to seek more time to discuss the issue.

It became clear of sorts that the Nagaland government was ‘unhappy’ with the proposal and decided to postpone the consultative meeting.

In this backdrop the Chief Minister Rio led delegation going to Delhi to meet the central leaders clearly indicates that there will be a final round of deliberation, where the Nagaland government is likely to seek for modification of some of the clauses in the draft ENPO agreement.

The ENPO on its part has lined up a series of meetings with Naga civil society bodies and armed groups to allay apprehensions surrounding the Centre’s proposal.

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