E-Paper
Nagaland govt appeals to ENPO to participate in upcoming local body polls
The urban local body polls are going to be held in Nagaland after two decades after being shrouded with controversies and lawsuits on issues surrounding property tax and quota for women
The Nagaland government on Thursday appealed to the people of six eastern districts of the state under the aegis of Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) to participate in the June 26 urban local bodies (ULB) polls.
ULB polls are going to be held in Nagaland after two decades after being shrouded with controversies and lawsuits on issues surrounding property tax and quota for women.
However, the ENPO has recently reaffirmed its standing resolution of February 23 to abstain from participating in any central or state elections to exhibit their protest against the failure to settle the Union Government’s offer for creation of autonomous Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) through the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Locals of the six eastern districts of Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator had, as per the same resolution, abstained from participating in the April 19 parliamentary elections even as Nagaland went to polls for its lone seat in the Lok Sabha.
The ENPO, representing the tribes of Konyak, Chang, Phom, Yimkhiung, Khiamniungan, Sangtam, Tikhir and eastern Sümi, has over four lakh voters and 20 assembly seats. Under the state’s ULB, the six districts have 14 town councils.
“A state cabinet meeting was convened today (May 16) and the state cabinet once again appeals to the ENPO and its constituent bodies to participate in the ULB elections which is being conducted on the directions of the Supreme Court after the prolonged legal battle involving the women’s reservation in the ULBs of the state of Nagaland in the larger interest of the public and their welfare,” state government spokesperson and minister for parliamentary affairs KG Kenye said on Thursday.
Maintaining that the ULBs are self-governing welfare and development-oriented councils which are beneficial for the citizens residing in the urban dwellings of the state, Kenye conveyed that the civic polls should not be seen as a means to lodge protest on their (ENPO’s) demands which is already under process at a high level.
ENPO had earlier blamed the MHA for failing to keep up with its assurance to settle the autonomous FNT issue but later shifted its blame on the state government for the delay. Towards this, Kenye remarked that the state government had recommended autonomy for the eastern region ever since the ENPO’s movement began over a decade ago.
He said the state was not party to the talks all the while since 2011 and it was only a few months ago that the state government was brought into the picture when the negotiations between the Centre and ENPO were on the verge of conclusion and the stage for preparation of the roadmap to the ultimate status and structure of the new entity was being outlined to reach a final tripartite agreement.
The government spokesman said chief minister Neiphiu Rio received a working paper on the proposed administrative arrangement from Union home minister Amit Shah on December 18, 2023, following which Rio handed over the draft copy to Eastern Nagaland Legislators Union (ENLU) convener and minister P Paiwaing Konyak with a request to discuss the same with ENPO leaders. But, he said, ENPO questioned the authenticity of the working paper and refused to table it in their meeting on February 14 stating that any draft sent by MHA through any party other than ENPO will not be accepted or discussed.
Following this, the ENPO refrained from participating in the April 19 Lok Sabha polls and under the directives of ENPO, youth volunteers were deployed near the residences of all the 20 eastern MLAs on the polling day preventing them from exercising their franchise and restrained the movement of all residents of the region which resulted in nil polling in all the six eastern districts.
“The state cabinet noted that all these acts are in violation of people’s right to vote and participate in the democratic process as enshrined in the Constitution of India,” Kenye said.
Subsequently, when the state election commission notified the long-pending civic polls in April last, the ENPO said the citizens of eastern Nagaland are steadfastly committed to abstaining from involvement in the forthcoming ULB elections alongside their resolute abstention to partake in any central or state elections, celebrations or events until such time the FNT becomes a tangible reality.
The tribal body has been demanding a separate Frontier Nagaland state carved out of the present Nagaland since 2010 on grounds of development and economic deficit in the area. However, it has recently agreed to creation of an autonomous Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) instead of a separate state, as proposed by the MHA through its negotiating team led by advisor (northeast) AK Mishra. The creation of FNT is expected to include empowering the region with separate legislative, executive, administration, and financial autonomy.
