TO DRAW ROADMAP FOR ‘AMICABLE, LEGISLATIVE & SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION’
The 11-member delegation of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) including ENPO Talk team and Rajya Sabha MP, S. Phangnon Konyak met Union Home minister Amit Shah at his residence in Delhi on Tuesday to deliberate on the ‘Frontier Nagaland’ Statehood demand.
According to ENPO Talk Team, the meeting which went on for over 45 minutes, was “successful” and that Shah had “highlighted a clear roadmap for amicable, legislative and sustainable solution for Eastern Nagaland, which will include consultation with the people of Eastern Nagaland and Nagaland State government.”
The Talk team said that Amit Shah understood their grievances and ENPO’s request for a “separate entity”.
ENPO stated that Amit Shah also “appreciated Eastern people for being a part of the nation building thus far, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also aware of.”
Shah also assured the delegation to personally visit Eastern Nagaland by January 2023, to which ENPO said it was eagerly looking forward to his visit. ENPO expressed gratitude to Amit Shah for his concern and granting ample time to its team.
The meeting was also attended by Union home secretary, director Intelligence Bureau, additional secretary home (Northeast) and Northeast adviser.
Meanwhile, a message on social media, purportedly by a member of the ENPO Talk Team had said that the meeting decided to constitute a committee on or before December 15, 2022 in order to have an in-depth study on ENPO issue.
Based on the fact finding, he (Amit Shah) will come to Tuensang and decide further course of action, it said.
It may be mentioned that the meeting scheduled by Amit Shah on December 3 was postponed as the latter was busy for the recently concluded Gujarat election.
Non-participation of ENPO in Hornbill unfortunate: Rio
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday said it was unfortunate that the ENPO, comprising of seven tribes, chose to abstain from taking part in the ongoing Hornbill Festival.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the stone pulling ceremony at Mezoma, Rio said ENPO’s decision to abstain from taking part in the Hornbill Festival was to express their unhappiness as Government of India had not responded to their demand.
He, however, hoped that ENPO leadership’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday evening would be able to resolve the issues. “I hope that the matter will be resolved. These are all temporary phase,” Rio remarked.
When asked as to why the legislators, led by him returned from Delhi without meeting Amit Shah, Rio said most of them had to return due to their busy schedule for the forthcoming State Assembly elections, slated to be held in the early part of 2023.
He, however, said that it was upto ENPO, whether they would prefer to meet Amit Shah along with the legislators or hold separate meeting.
Meanwhile, sources said that the meeting with Amit Shah was held only with the 11-member delegation and Rajya Sabha MP, as only their names were listed out by the Home ministry for the meeting with the Home minister and not the legislators.
It may be mentioned that chief minister Neiphiu Rio, who left for Delhi on Saturday afternoon, returned to Nagaland on Monday along with deputy chief minister Y. Patton and some legislators, who were camping in Delhi since Friday. It was learnt that Rio reportedly met Union Home secretary, though nothing could be confirmed as to what was discussed at the meeting.