Statehood demand gains momentum in Nagaland, Meghalaya as assembly polls near

The demands for separate states by different groups are gaining momentum in Nagaland and Meghalaya with assembly elections in both the northeastern states are due early next year

The demands for separate states by different groups are gaining momentum in Nagaland and Meghalaya with assembly elections in both the northeastern states are due early next year.

The states of Nagaland and Meghalaya were carved out of neighbouring Assam in 1963 and 1972 respectively.

In Nagaland, the people of the state’s six eastern districts under the aegis of Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) have freshly threatened to not only abstain from participating in any election process but to demand resignation of the 20 incumbent legislators from eastern Nagaland region out of a total 60 in Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), and all political party workers, should the government of India fail to respond to their demand.

ENPO has been demanding a separate “Frontier Nagaland” statehood since 2010 over alleged issues of development or lack thereof. The organisation has submitted several representations to the Centre on different occasions. The demand was reaffirmed on August 9 this year that the people of eastern Nagaland, the erstwhile Tuensang Frontier Division of the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) will continue to pursue the demand for separate state based on its initial demand.

All the ENPO constituent tribal bodies- the Chang Khulei Setshang (CKS), Khiamniungan Tribal Council (KTC), Konyak Union (KU), Phom People’s Council (PPC), United Sangtam Likhum Pumji (USLP), Tikhir Tribal Council (TTC) and Yimkhiung Tribal Council (YTC) are stated to have endorsed the resolve and to “mobilise at the grassroots for the success of this movement”.

The ENPO has also decided that after asking their 20 MLAs to resign, an effective plan of action for furthering the movement will be worked out through emergency ENPO-CEC meeting.

Earlier in September, ENPO president Tsapikiu Sangtam told HT that the organisation was not imposing anything on the 20 elected members as they (MLAs) have constitutional obligations, but he maintained that the statehood demand was the desire of the people at the grassroots and the elected representatives should respect the decision of their people.

In 2012, the matter was brought to the state assembly for discussion and a representation was forwarded to the Centre, however, the matter was not brought up for discussion during the last assembly session in September.

The organisation also requested the Centre to respond to its public representation of October 2021 addressed to the Prime Minister wherein the ENPO stated that in the event of the anticipated Naga political solution, or the event of any unexpected delay in the talks, the Prime Minister is requested for creation of separate statehood for the people of Eastern Nagaland. The ENPO is determined to stick to its demand as it has reaffirmed all its earlier resolutions.

Meanwhile, according to a report by North East Live, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has said that the state government is positive that the issue will be resolved as it was talking to the parties involved and would seek an appointment for the ENPO to meet Union home minister Amit Shah, and make a request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi too when he visits the state.

“Nagas speak out our mind, so it is not wrong for them (ENPO) to say what they think and what they desire. But all these issues will be resolved,” Rio said.

Demand for separate ‘Garoland’ state

In Meghalaya, the call for a separate state normally re-emerges from both the dominant Garo and Khasi-Jaintia communities preceding elections. Now with the assembly elections here scheduled to be held in early 2023 along with Tripura, and Nagaland, such demand has not yet emanated in Khasi-Jaiñtia region. However, the western part of the state has once again started reverberating with the demand for a separate ‘Garoland’ state.

The Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC) has in collaboration with the National Federation for New States (NFNS) appealed to the people across the western half of Meghalaya to congregate in Tura on October 29 to take the statehood movement forward. Tura is the principal town of Meghalaya’s Garo Hills which comprises five districts and 24 Assembly seats of the total 60 member House.

The GHSMC, a conglomeration of several Garo organisations, including regional political party Garo National Council (GNC), has been emphasising that its demand was on the linguistic lines of the States Reorganisations Act, 1956.

Speaking with journalists earlier this month, Nikman C. Marak, vice-president of the National Federation for New States (NFNS) said, “Leaders who have been part of statehood movements across India would participate in the congregation to back the demand for a separate Garoland State.”

“If we work together, we can overcome all the hurdles in our path. We need to support each other and work hand in hand to achieve our long-standing demand of Garoland,” Marak, who is also the deputy chief executive member of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, added.

Alleged discrimination against the people of Garo Hills and uneven distribution of resources compared to the Khasi and Jaintia tribes-dominated eastern part of Meghalaya led to the Garoland statehood movement over two decades ago.

While the Garo Hills region, spread across 10,102 sq. km, has 13.94 lakh people, according to the 2011 Census, while the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region, covering 15,546 sq. km, has 22.44 lakh people.

In the eastern front of the state, the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), the oldest regional party in Meghalaya, has been batting for a separate Khasi-Jaintia state for many years. This time however, the party has not indicated anything on the matter and remains focused on its poll preparations. Efforts to solicit from senior party functionaries remain futile as none was willing to make public their thoughts on this issue.

Though prominent civil society groups in the Khasi-Jaintia regions have refrained from exploring this issue, an upcoming socially acceptable pressure group, the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has supported the demand for a separate Garoland state.

“We would also like to support the Council of Nokmas, the apex traditional body who have also demanded for special recognition and who are part of the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya,” HITO president Donboklang Dkhar said in a statement on Sunday.

In March 2014, the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, constituted in 1972, vetoed the Garoland idea. Both the states of Nagaland and Meghalaya were carved out of neighbouring Assam in 1963 and 1972 respectively.