Against the backdrop of decision by ENPO for abstention from ongoing election process, the Eastern Nagaland Legislators Union (ENLU) has reiterated its appeal to ENPO to participate in the parliamentary election so as to create a “conducive atmosphere to continue the negotiation” after installation of a popular government at the Centre.
ENLU in a statement, explained the issue regarding highlights of the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) for the proposed Frontier Nagaland Territory on behalf of all 20 elected members of the 14th NLA from Eastern Nagaland.
ENLU said on December 21,2023 at Sovima, Dimapur, the chief minister shared highlights of the draft MoS with the cabinet including ENLU members.
ENLU said though the draft MoS was not meant to be shared with anyone or organisation except with the state government, yet it decided to deliberate and share with different organisations within ENPO as it (ENLU) did not want to make any unilateral decision which would be contrary to the July 26,2023 meeting with ENLU, Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), Eastern Nagaland Women Organisation (ENWO), Eastern Nagaland Students Federation (ENSF), Eastern Nagaland Gazetted Officers Association (ENGOA), Tribal Hohos and the Talk Team that after the draft MoS was received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), this will be deliberated and taken it to the public for the final approval .
ENLU said the working paper was shared with ENGOA who was asked to officially hand over the paper to the ENSF and ENWO for their comments.
On February 12, 2024 ENLU said it convened a consultative meeting with ENGOA, ENSF and ENWO at Hotel Japfu Kohima to deliberate on the highlights of the draft MoS with ENPO.
However, ENLU said ENSF and ENWO did not attend at the directive of ENPO. ENLU mentioned that ENWO and ENSF resented and expressed dissatisfaction over the draft MoS but nevertheless, ENLU and ENGOA members deliberated on the draft as it was felt necessary for further discussion. Therefore, ENGOA was entrusted to organise a joint consultative meeting with ENLU, ENPO, ENWO, Talk Team and all apex tribal hohos. Then on February 13, 2024 ENLU said its members held a meeting with the chief minister who instructed ENLU to share highlights of the draft MoS with ENPO so as to maintain transparency as part of a democratic nation.
Accordingly, ENGOA called for a consultative meeting on February 14, 2024 with ENLU, ENPO, ENWO, ENSF, Tribal Hohos and Talk Team members. In the meeting, ENLU shared the draft MoS with all members for discussion with the state government with comments. However, ENLU said ENPO “bluntly refused to study and comment” of the draft on the ground that it (draft) should be handed over directly to them by the MHA that the draft lacked authenticity and suspected to be a manipulated document.
Following prolonged deliberations, the meeting concluded by taking a “sense of the house” by the raising of hands that they were dissatisfied with the draft MoS and refused to accept it and which was communicated to the state government. However, ENPO contradicted this in the social media by refuting the statement made by ENLU members.
ENLU said it wanted to share and discuss the draft MoS as it was considered as an official draft/working paper from MHA as the members did not want to comment on the working paper without consultation with their people. However, it said ENPO opined that the draft MoS was manipulated and lacked authentication and so adamantly refused to even see and go through it.
ENLU pointed out that during the recent visit of its members to Delhi and after meeting with MHA officials on March 18, 2024 it was confirmed the draft MoS was a working paper and an official document given to the state government for observations and comments and was not supposed to be shared with anyone. ENLU said during the course of its meeting with MHA officials, there was no mention of time frame/time limit for submission of comments/review/observation over the draft MoS.
After the meeting with MHA, ENLU said it sent a written briefing on March 18, 2024 to ENPO about the outcome and also appeal for suspension of the ongoing public emergency in the greater interest of Eastern Nagaland.
Then on March 28, 2024 at the meeting in Tuensang, ENLU said it explained and clarified every doubt about the working paper which was duly acknowledged by president of ENPO. In his remark, the ENPO president called upon all frontal organisations including ENLU to come together and pursue the aspiration of the ENPO post election as Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is currently in force.
At the meeting, it was resolved to ask Eastern Nagaland legislators to request the state government to comment on the draft MoS/working paper to the Centre and the ENPO will not blame ENLU for whatever recommendations or comments forwarded to the MHA.
ENLU said it has been continuously appealing to ENPO to revoke the Chenmoho Resolution and participate in the parliamentary election so as to create a conductive atmosphere to continue negotiation with government of India regarding Eastern Nagaland issue after installation of a popular government at the Centre.
Thus, after demanding a better future for the people of Eastern Nagaland for more than a decade, ENLU said it cannot become a barrier to shatter the dreams of the people and again appealed to ENPO to participate in the parliamentary election.