The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), which had on August 26 resolved that the people of the area would abstain from elections held in the state unless its demand for a separate state — Frontier Nagaland — was fulfilled, has now banned election-related campaigns and programmes announcing candidates by political parties in eastern Nagaland.
The influential ENPO conveyed its decisions through a notification on Thursday, which its chief R. Tsapikiu Sangtam said was a follow-up of the August 26 resolution adopted during the joint consultative meeting held at Dimapur involving, among others, senior leaders from eastern Nagaland, seven tribal leaders and frontal organisations.
The demand for a separate state, which was formally raised in 2010, comprised six districts of Nagaland, 20 of the 60 Assembly seats and a population of about 10 lakh (almost half of the state).
The announcement of the decision on Thursday coincided with the visit of the Nagaland government-constituted Core Committee on Naga Political Issue to Delhi to find an amicable solution to the peace process involving the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) and the Centre.
The core panel members, led by chief minister N. Rio, met the Centre’s interlocutor for Naga peace talks, A.K. Mishra, on Thursday. They were also scheduled to meet Union home minister Amit Shah, but the meeting was put off.
The core committee was formed in 2021 to help facilitate the peace process and is now trying to break the deadlock with the NSCN (IM), making it clear that its demand for a separate flag and constitution should be part of the final solution. The core committee is also expected to raise statehood in their discussion because the issue can’t be kept hanging with the approaching state polls, sources said.
The ENPO resolution has been triggered by the Centre’s lack of response to the organisation’s request for an appointment with the home minister, made on May 27 and August 17, to discuss their demand.
The ENPO responded by announcing non-participation of the people living in the region in any election process of the state or the Centre, a move that could impact next year’s Assembly polls.
Before that, there will be urban body polls in January.
“We have held two rounds of talks at bureaucratic level in the state and then the talks reached the MHA-level in 2021. We were assured of discussion with home minister Shah but that has not happened till now,” Sangtam said.
He added: “We have therefore decided to abstain from elections, bar poll campaign by any party and also programmes to declare candidatures. All seven tribal bodies with the ENPO have been urged to carry out massive public mobilisation programmes without delay in their respective jurisdiction,” Sangtam said.
The seven tribal bodies represent the Konyak, Chang, Khiamniungan, Phom, Sangtam, Yimkhiung and Tikhir communities.
The ENPO had on August 9 held rallies in support of Frontier Nagaland because of the region’s under-development. The 20 MLAs from the region have reportedly extended support to the statehood demand since they “can’t go against the will of the people”.
Nagaland has an Opposition-less government headed by the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party with the BJP as a constituent.
