The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) has clarified and reminded all that initially it had demanded a full-fledged separate state for socio-economic development and to politically avail the privileges of federal democracy.
However, the Centre, the state government and some tribal bodies appealed to reconsider the demand for separate state, following which the Central government was making an effort to offer Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) that would be under Nagaland.
As such, with the understanding and to keep away from any disharmony in the future, the organisation in a statement asserted that it did not perceive any division within the family with the granting of the proposed FNT by the Centre. Rather, it claimed that the people of the region would progress socially and economically, and become equal contributors to the prosperity of the state and pursue all common issues jointly.
Reacts to Rio: Reacting to chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s statement that draft proposal of Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) on FNT was handed to him by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss with ENPO, the organisation maintained that its delegation had met Shah on December 7, 2023 at new Parliament House, Delhi. In the meeting chaired by Shah, it was clearly stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was fully aware of the issue, which was in the final stage, and that it was the priority and firm commitment of the MHA to finish it off before parliamentary election model code of conduct came into effect.
The delegations was informed that the home minister had invited the chief minister to brief and hand over the draft MoS for FNT, seek the state government’s response and views, if there were any within stipulated time. After the state government’s response, the MHA would hand over the draft MoS to ENPO. After this, ENPO said the ministry was to invite the state government and ENPO before December 25, 2023to discuss and fix the date for signing the MoS before Lok Sabha election model code of conduct came into effect.
Further, ENPO clarified that it was not February 9, meeting but February 14 joint coordination meeting of the Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU), ENPO and frontal organisations that was convened by the Eastern Nagaland Gazetted Officers’ Association (ENGOA) at Tourist Lodge Dimapur.
In the meeting, the ENPO said that it was informed that there was an embargo on showing or sharingthe MoS draft, which contradictedthe chief minister’s statement that “the draft proposal of MoS is from the Home Ministry and was handed to him by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss with the elected members and ENPO”.
During the February 14meeting, ENPO stated that it clearly stood by the commitment and assurance given by MHA on December 7,2023 and that until and unless it receivedan official copy from MHA as assured, it could neither accept or reject the draft MoS brought by ENLU, which was agreed by the house not to discuss in the meeting.
Therefore, ENPO pointed out that the question of “all the members present in the meeting have rejected unanimously and also lifted their hands” as stated by the chief minister did not arise.
According to ENPO, the draft that was reported to have been brought by the chief minister had rather created confusion and misunderstanding since there was no official communication or indication from MHA that the draft MoS would be handed over through the State Government.
The organisation mentioned that it was awaiting a copy of the draft MoS as assured on December 7, 2023 that the MHA would invite ENPO and hand over the draft after the state government’s response.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025