DIMAPUR, MAY 30 (NPN): The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation has expressed serious concern over what it described as the Nagaland government’s reversal of its earlier position on the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA), signed on February 5, 2026.
In a press communiqué, ENPO reminded that the MoA provides for the creation of a unique self-governing territorial authority with legislative, executive and financial autonomy for Eastern Nagaland within the state of Nagaland, along with special responsibilities vested in the Governor to ensure its institutional integrity. “This is the very core of FNTA upon which the MoA was shaped for signing. Any deletion or modification to this core principle after signing shall amount to destroying the whole MoA,” ENPO asserted.
The organisation said it was unfortunate that the state government was attempting to differ from its earlier official stand taken in November 2024 on the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) presented by the Ministry of Home Affairs to Nagaland government in December 2023, under which FNTA was to be granted legislative, executive and financial autonomy within Nagaland.
According to ENPO, the reversal has raised serious questions about the state government’s sincerity as one of the party to the tripartite process. It further described the state government’s objections to the MoA after signing as “complete lack of seriousness and a treacherous act” towards the people of Eastern Nagaland.
ENPO said it was difficult to accept that the office of the Advocate General of Nagaland was kept in the dark on the FNTA issue throughout nearly three years of negotiations, only for objections to be raised after the agreement was signed.
It maintained that the state government had to first convince itself that it was their own failure to keep the Advocate General out from the FNTA issue that was studied and processed for such a long period. ENPO argued such failure cannot be the reason to block implementation of the FNTA aimed at fulfilling the aspirations of the deprived people of Eastern Nagaland.
ENPO also viewed seriously what it described as the state government’s attempt to shift responsibility to the Centre by deviating from the MoA. It cautioned that if the Centre decides to bring about FNTA within the state of Nagaland, by some ways and means that may be detrimental to the State as a whole or its citizens, the state government shall bear sole responsibility for such consequences.
ENPO said that, in order to avoid uncertainty, it called upon the state government to honour its commitments and act in good faith to ensure the smooth implementation of the MoA for the peace and development of the Eastern Nagaland region.
It recalled that the FNTA signing ceremony was held on February 5, 2026 in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Home Secretary, and in the presence of Union Home Minister, chief minister and his council of ministers, NPF secretary general and MLA, which marked the end of negotiations with ENPO.
ENPO reiterated its demand that the state government table and pass the FNTA Bill in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly without diluting any provision of the signed MoA, stating that it would benefit the marginalised people of Eastern Nagaland within the state.
