In a significant step aimed at resolving the longstanding ENPO issue vis-à-vis Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT), the state government said it was ready to forward the matter to the Central government. This was decided at the cabinet meeting held here on Wednesday.
Disclosing this to the media, Power and Parliamentary Affairs minister and state government spokesperson KG Kenye said the cabinet discussed several pressing issues, including the long-pending demands of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) and Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU).
He mentioned that the meeting, attended by ministers and members from various departments, deliberated on addressing the concerns of ENPO, adding that it reflected the government’s commitment to advancing the process, particularly the ENPO’s interests, while respecting the traditional and legal framework of Nagaland under Article 371A of the Constitution of India.
He said the ENLU had recently concluded internal deliberations, presenting their consolidated proposals to the state cabinet, following which the cabinet held a detailed discussion on the ENPO’s concerns, focusing on the way forward.
Noting that a position had now been reached where the state government was ready to forward the matter to the Centre, he clarified that the ENPO’s proposals aligned closely with the government’s stance, ensuring that both sides were on a common ground for the next steps.
Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Village Guards minister CL John said the ENPO leadership had undergone a restructuring in July, resulting in a renewed approach to their negotiations with the state.
In August, the new team officially submitted a proposal to the cabinet, marking a fresh stage of engagement. While past differences with the ENLU had previously delayed discussions, he acknowledged that the recent consultations had yielded fruitful outcomes.
He mentioned that the cabinet had more or less ratified the core of the ENPO’s proposals, assuring “We will now move forward, guided by the established guidelines without altering the foundational framework.”
When asked about whether the nomenclature for the proposed Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) was renamed to Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA), John clarified that FNTA was already included in the original draft and that the state government was merely referencing it. As per the draft Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) the proposed administrative setup is to be known as FNTA.
No major deviations: Reiterating that the state government remained committed to retaining the integrity of Article 371A that provided Nagaland with special provisions and autonomy, Kenye assured that the ENPO’s objectives would be pursued within the purview of Article 371A, ensuring that the governance structure was preserved while addressing the concerns of Eastern Nagaland.
He clarified that Article 371A would not be amended as part of this process, pointing out that the ENPO’s requests did not involve changing this essential part of the governance. He claimed that the discussions were about reinforcing their rightful place within the current structure. He said additional roles or posts to support governance in the ENPO region would be centralised within Nagaland’s administrative framework.
Resource allocation and guidelines: Referring to financial and administrative resources, CL John said the ENPO proposals would adhere to the established state guidelines, with no separate or altered frameworks introduced specifically for the ENPO.
He acknowledged the challenge of securing timely fund allocations from the central government, but assured that resources for the ENPO region would be managed as per standard protocols.
He mentioned that the state government was aware about the reality of fund delays, adding that the representatives too were aware that while timelines might vary, the region remained a priority within the state’s regular plans.
Border issue with Assam: On the escalating border tensions with Assam, particularly concerning reserve forests along the Assam-Nagaland boundary, Kenye admitted that the recent encroachments by Assam on Nagaland’s protected areas, marked as Disturbed Area Belt (DAB) zones, had raised concerns.
He highlighted inconsistencies in official communications from Assam’s chief minister to his Nagaland counterpart, where the disputed area was inaccurately described, misrepresenting the location by hundreds of kilometers.
He alleged that despite being well within Nagaland’s territorial boundary, the disputed reserve forests were now occupied, and paramilitary training camps had been set up.
He said the state government had strongly objected to these developments and were prepared to engage with central authorities to resolve the issue peacefully and protect land rights.
Kenye revealed that the state government had decided to initiate a verification process led by a senior state official to document and address the issue of encroachments.
He explained, “We are at an important juncture, and we will continue to collaborate with the ENPO and other regional organisations to bring about long-awaited progress for our people. The next steps are a matter of refining the terms and addressing the finer details, which we will share as soon as final decisions are made.”