Grand civic reception accorded to ENPO team
More than a thousand people gathered at Dimapur airport on Saturday to accord a grand reception to the 43-member Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) delegation on their return from New Delhi after signing the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA).
The reception was followed by a thanksgiving prayer programme at Konyak Paan, jointly organised by Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Union Dimapur (ENPUD), Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Union Chümoukedima (ENPUC) and Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Union Kohima (ENPUK).
Addressing the gathering, ENPO president Chingmak Chang reaffirmed that the demand for separate statehood remained intact, describing FNTA as only the first step towards that larger goal.
Visibly emotional, Chang recalled that ENPO was formed in 1996 to highlight the deep-rooted hardships and backwardness faced by the people of Eastern Nagaland.
He said the organisation resolved to demand statehood on May 27, 2007, and submitted a memorandum to the Government of India on December 6, 2010, during the tenure of then ENPO president late Y. Mangko Phom.
He acknowledged the sacrifices made by Eastern Nagas at every level and said the signing of the agreement was a collective achievement. “The credit for signing the agreement belongs to each and every citizen of Eastern Nagaland,” he said, urging all eight tribes to remain united and shoulder the responsibility of taking FNTA forward.
Chang credited the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Nagaland government under chief minister Dr. Neiphiu Rio, senior bureaucrats and chief negotiator A.K. Mishra and his team for guiding the negotiations.
He described FNTA as a people’s movement and compared it to a newborn child whose future would depend on how it is nurtured.
He clarified that FNTA would function within the State of Nagaland for 10 years and reiterated that Eastern Nagaland would remain an integral part of the state. However, he underlined that FNTA was not the final destination and that the goal of statehood remained unchanged.
Interacting with the media, Chang said financial and developmental assistance would be provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
A joint monitoring committee comprising representatives of the Centre, State government and ENPO would oversee implementation, while an interim administrative setup functioning like a mini-secretariat would be established, headed by a Chief Executive Secretary of the rank of Principal Secretary or Additional Chief Secretary.
He said the Governor would appoint the interim leadership in consultation with ENPO, and the timeline for constituting the interim arrangement would be decided after consultations with tribal bodies.
Chang added that FNTA was constituted under Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India and not under the Fifth or Sixth Schedule, describing it as a unique 10-year arrangement.
Earlier, ENPUD president N.T. Thamlong Phom termed the day historic but cautioned that the journey was far from over. He thanked former ENPO leaders, other Naga tribes and concluded by urging unity. The programme ended with a thanksgiving prayer led by pastors from the six Eastern Nagaland districts.