More than criticism, Neiphiu Rio reprimanded by 'senior'

Chief Minister of a state should behave like a 'guardian' of his people

New Delhi/Dimapur 

How does one define Politics? It could be intriguing at times -- provoking questions and peculiar situations and then answers may still remain evasive.

The roles on the stage change and that signals the changing weather. It's winter and winters are cold; but on the ground in Nagaland things are just warming up.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has graduated from the stage of facing mere 'criticism'. His draftsmen may still bank on 'denial' theories but slowly things are coming onto him -- face to face. A 'senior' politician has reportedly reprimanded him twice in recent times. 

Jungle duty: Blogger With Central forces

Well, this is is being reported at the risk that NDPP president Chingwang Konyak and Rio's trusted know-all lieutenants in Kohima may come with yet another denial case and even threaten the 'over smart' journo with litigation and imprisonment. A messenger is often helpless and clueless on what may befall on him.

At a pre-Christmas party, the veteran raked up with the Chief Minister on his government's stance on ENPO demand and the manner was passed on to the centre virtually on a platter.

The issue figured again on Jan 6 -- incidentally the eventful day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in Delhi.

Sources say yet again, the refrain was in the same spirit -- "A Chief Minister should behave like a guardian of his people and that includes the entire state and all its citizens irrespective of caste and creed".

Many important leaders and if sources are to be trusted -- even state ministers were present. On the second occasion, that is January 6th, even NDPP chief Chingwang Konyak got a taste of 'elderly humour'.

Chingwang Konyak, NDPP chief 

There were a few other leaders and legislators from the ENPO region as well.

The general thinking is that Chief Minister Rio should not have let the 'initiatives on ENPO' simply slip out of his hands. Now, the story is between ENPO and the centre. This does not add to the prestige of the man in power in Kohima.

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 complaint 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. Surveys in the 1990s had revealed that along the entire 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. 

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 that never in its history a Naga youth from the Tuensang-Mon region was allowed to become President of NSF.

According to clause 10 (b) of the 16 Point (or Statehood) Agreement of 1960, 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'.  

The same issue got coinage of a new name too 'Frontier Nagaland'. This was around 2011-12 when Rio was Chief Minister and Congress-led UPA government under Manmohan Singh was in the centre. A Kerala-cadre senior IAS officer was said to have been 'instrumental' in giving weightage to the ENPO demand.

The argument is that he tried the 'I am Sorry' (read IAS) old game to counter strong insistence of 'Naga unification' from other quarters. 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  under N Kitovi Zhimomi to resolve the Naga issue. 

The Nagaland Gaon Burrah Federation (NGBF) in a rather matured statement has said, “Resolving the Naga political issue and post solution realignments of flawed political and administrative status will fulfill the aspiration of Eastern Nagaland Tribes".

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