New Delhi
Amid fast progress in peace talks to resolve the decades-old Naga insurgency, all eyes are on the centre's stance on the demand for a separate state 'Frontier Nagaland' carving out of eastern part of the state.
The meeting between Home Minister Amit Shah and Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) is likely to be held on Tuesday, Dec 6th, evening.
Eastern Nagaland region - native home of seven tribes- was included as part of Nagaland state by way of the 16 Point Agreement inked in 1960.
"Ball in the centre's court," says the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), the apex organisation stewarding the demand for separate statehood.
The meeting scheduled earlier on December 3 was deferred as Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in Gujarat in view of elections in the western state.
Seven Naga Tribes reside in six administrative districts Tuensang, Mon, Shamatore, Kiphire, Longleng and Noklak bordering Myanmar.
These tribes are Konyaks, Sangtams, Changs, Phoms, Khiamniungans, Yimchungrus and Tikhirs. Earlier the region had only two districts Tuensang and Mon.
An 11-member delegation of ENPO leaders accompanied two former MPs Asungba Sangtam and Wangyuh Konyak are in the capital.
Some of the ENPO leaders are critical of the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his NDPP-BJP-NPF dispensation in Kohima.
These seven tribes have stayed away from this year's annual tourism extravaganza of Hornbill Festival being hosted in the state capital Kohima.
Some community leaders say the gesture could be interpreted as Eastern Nagaland's lack of trust in the Rio government.
On December 3, a few ENPO leaders did not appear much enthusiastic about the state government delegation led by Chief Minister Rio to attend the meeting with Home Minister Shah.
"Are they also coming? But why?," remarked the source on the condition of anonymity.
Another ENPO leader said as far as the people of the Mon-Tuensang region are concerned; only those who back "Our demand for Statehood" should logically attend the meeting.
Answering questions, the source went on to state, "Unless they are coming to sabotage our demand and a very specific demand of a new state, why will they feel comfortable in the room?"
Tsapikiu Sangtam, president ENPO, Chingmak Chang, president ENSF, Y Konyak, ENWO representative and Lemba Chang member ENPO are also part of the delegation.
When Tuensang and Mon districts were included in the 1960s to be 'parts of the 16th state of Indian union', that is the present day state of Nagaland, there were a lot of hopes and aspirations for seven tribes from this region.
But the general feeling now is that this region has been failed by main-stream Nagaland.
This view is of course countered by mainstream Naga politicians. One viewpoint is a number of MPs from various parties actually hailed from this region.
The list includes sitting Rajya Sabha MP, S. Phangnon Konyak of BJP. She is also the first woman Rajya Sabha from Nagaland.
Others were former MPs Chingwang Konyak, Asungba Sangtam, Wangyuh Konyak and Late CM Chang.
The Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) has been stewarding a demand for Frontier Nagaland
for the last decade or so.
Surveys in the 1990s had revealed that along the entire eastern belt of Nagaland (encompassing the six districts), runs a rich vein of coal, limestone, nickel, marble, cobalt and magnite. But most of these have remained untapped due to a plethora of reasons.
A retired IAS officer in the state told IANS: "Blessed with the temperate climate, Nagaland on the whole has remained one of the few green spots, rich in sub tropical diversity and mineral wealth. Yet it has retained the sub-Himalayan climatic characteristics".
Some years back, the students from Eastern Nagaland took the tough plunge and the Eastern Nagaland Students' Federation (ENSF) dissociated themselves from the apex and much influential Naga Students' Federation (NSF).
The grievance was never in its history a Naga from Tuensang-Mon region was allowed to become
President of NSF.
The government of India has on the other hand made significant progress in peace talks with NNPG, an umbrella organisation
of Naga underground outfits. The NSCN-IM demand for a separate Flag and Constitution have been
rejected by the centre.
According to clause 10 (b) of the 16 Point (or Statehood) Agreement, there was a provision for setting up of a Regional Council with elected representatives from all the tribes and the Governor may nominate representatives to the Regional Council. It was also stated that the "Regional Council will elect members of the Naga Legislative Assembly".
The demand for a separate state comprising Eastern Nagaland had gained momentum at a time when the NSCN-IM was negotiating with the Government of India for 'unification of all Naga contiguous areas'. Nagas reside in parts of Myanmar and also in states such as Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The centre has earlier ruled out possibilities of redrawing the boundaries of these three northeastern states.
The Nagas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have lately supported the initiatives of umbrella organisation NNPG to resolve the Naga issue with the government of India through dialogues and discussions.
The Modi government stance and decision on Ladakh region vis-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 has fueled speculation in some quarters on whether a similar roadmap may be adopted even with regard to the eastern part of Nagaland state.
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