Big Nagaland Story: Centre concedes to ENPO’s demand, autonomous territory/council covering 6 eastern dists of Nagaland soon
First Published: 26th June, 2023 15:45 IST
The Nagaland government has convened a consultative meeting on June 30 to discuss the Centre's proposal for maximum autonomy
In what can be considered as a big development for the people of Nagaland and its politics, the Government of India has come up with a concrete proposal for resolution of the long standing ENPO issue in Nagaland. Documents available with Northeast Live reveal that the Government of India has proposed the constitution of an autonomous territory or council covering the 6 Eastern Districts in Nagaland.
The Nagaland government has convened a consultative meeting at 1.30 pm on June 30th at the State Banquet Hall in Kohima to discuss the Centre’s proposal for maximum autonomy in the 6 districts of Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, Kiphere, Shamator and Noklak.
Well informed sources privy to the series of discussions between the ENPO and the Government of India have said that the proposed administrative arrangement will have 40 elected members and 9 nominated members. Sources said the administrative arrangement will have legislative, executive and financial autonomy and may be called Frontier Naga Territory.
The outcome of the consultative meet on June 30th may pave the way for the signing of a historic ENPO agreement.
The consultative meet in Kohima will be attended by the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Deputy Chief Ministers Y Patton and TR Zeliang, 19 other MLAs and advisers besides the 2 MPs from the state and the Speaker of the Nagaland Assembly.
Representatives from Tribal Organisations like the Central Naga Tribes Council, Angami Public Organisation, Teniyimi People’s Organisation, Chakhesang Public Organisation and the Nagaland Garo Tribal Council among others will also attend the consultative meet.
Sources claimed that the Government of India has agreed to bring 45 departments under the new administrative structure and a separate secretariat will be established in the Eastern region. Further, an additional Director General of Police will be appointed exclusively for the new autonomous territory.
There have been hectic parleys this month between the ENPO and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). At the invitation of the MHA, a 12 member ENPO delegation led by its president Tsapikyu Sangtam held talks with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on June 16. The delegation also met interlocutor and special adviser MHA, AK Mishra on June 17.
Sources added that there are still some loose ends that need to be sorted out before a final meeting is held. It was in 2010 that the ENPO submitted its first memorandum to the Government of India. The ENPO has been demanding a separate Frontier Nagaland comprising the eastern parts of the state saying that the region cannot develop unless it was granted full autonomy and a separate administration. The Eastern Districts were originally a part of the Northeast Frontier Agency, a separate administrative unit established by the British as the Tuensang Frontier division. The area became a full-fledged state of Nagaland in 1963. It took 10 years for the region to be represented in the Nagaland assembly.
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