Not a comma on Frontier Nagaland will be changed, says Amit Shah

Tuensang (Nagaland)

The Frontier Naga Territtory is a reality, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured a delegation of Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) and maintained that "not a comma" of what had been agreed will be altered.

Shah held a meeting with ENPO leaders here on Tuesday on the second day of his visit in presence of BJP leader Rituraj Sinha and Advisor, North East, A K Mishra.

Shah was in Eastern Nagaland on a two day visit as part of election campaign and he spent a night at Mon town - the hub of Konyak tribes. At the end of two-day long marathon rounds of closed door conclaves between ENPO leaders and the representatives of the Govt of India in Guwahati on Jan 31, the centre reportedly offered Autonomous Territory.

"It was a good meeting that ended on a positive note but the centre could not share in writing as there is moral code of conduct vis-a-via Feb 27 assembly elections," an informed source told 'Nagaland Page'

There has been a broad agreement on many issues and some issues like funding route were also discussed. The ENPO and other tribal body leaders from Eastern Nagaland want direct funding from New Delhi and in principle are against the idea of getting it routed through the Chief Minister in Kohima.  In January one ENPO source had said, "After all these years no leader from Eastern Nagaland would like to come to a Chief Minister in Kohima with a begging bowl".

As advised by the Ministry of Home Affairs the ENPO leaders and others finally decided to call off their protest or boycott of polls.

The Union Home Minister's visit to 

Mon and Tuensang - the two key hubs in Eastern Nagaland - of course is likely to give a big advantage in eight seats the BJP is contesting in the politically sensitive but development-starved region, local BJP leaders said.

A key leader from Mon district said, "We have already opened account with uncontested win in Akuluto in Zunheboto district in central Nagaland. Now Amit Shah ji's visit  strengthened our fight and give us a clean sweep in Eastern Nagaland".

The NDPP is contesting 12 seats out of its quota of 40 seats in Eastern Nagaland. Even as Home Minister Shah both in Mon and Tuensang clearly backed Rio's leadership local analysts on Wednesday were still not sure whether Shah's remarks will translate into votes for the NDPP.

In many quarters more than once leaders and activists from Tuensang and Mon have flayed Chief Minister Rio and blamed him for not much for the region in last five years.

Last month after Amit Shah visited Dimapur and made a speech highlighting immense developmental works and geneous fund flow from Centre, social activist Theja Therieh had told "Nagaland Page' - "We should welcome the manner Mr Shah spoke and he gave details of how crores have been sanctioned since 2014. Next time he and other central 

leaders will do well to look for some of those projects. The Rio government's corruption saga now does not 

need any evidence".

Therieh also had maintained that in his speech during the function, the Home Minister has highlighted about allocation of Rs 4,127 crore for national highways and other projects. 

"According to the Home Minister, under Jal Jeevan Mission 2,18, 000 families benefited, under Ayushman Bharat Scheme around 3 lakh families under the PM Awas Yojana as many as 54,636 families benefited, under PM Kissan Samman Nidhi - 2.1 lakh farmers benefitted and under PM Gram Sadak Yojana, 4,157 km roads were constructed. That means, Nagaland is heaven and people are being so ungrateful that Chief Minister Rio is the most unpopular leader," Therieh had said sarcastically.

Ends