Northeast Desk, 26th February: The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) has taken a decisive stance by announcing its abstention from participating in both Central and State elections until the Indian government addresses the creation of the ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’ (FNT).
This resolution was solidified during a collaborative meeting held on February 23, 2024, at Chenmoho Village, Mon district, where ENPO, along with federating tribal bodies, frontal organizations, talk team members, and senior leaders, unanimously agreed to refrain from engaging in electoral processes due to the prolonged delay in resolving the FNT issue.
ENPO’s decision follows widespread public demonstrations across all seven districts and ADC headquarters within Eastern Nagaland on February 9, where thousands rallied demanding the establishment of FNT and the swift signing of the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS).
Expressing unwavering resolve, ENPO emphasized that they would not succumb to any assurances made by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) following the upcoming Parliamentary elections, reaffirming their commitment to pursuing alternative courses of action if Eastern Nagaland’s aspirations continued to be disregarded.
In the wake of these demonstrations, tribal bodies submitted a memorandum to the Nagaland governor, reiterating their determination to explore alternative actions if the sentiments of Eastern Nagaland’s populace were not duly recognized. They warned against potential disruptions if the Election Commission of India enforced the model code of conduct without the MoS being signed.
The memorandum urged the governor to expeditiously convey these sentiments to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Members of ENPO expressed disappointment during a media briefing on February 15, citing repeated assurances from the Union Home Minister that had yet to materialize into the final draft of the FNT.
Highlighting the absence of the draft as the primary catalyst for recent rallies, ENPO called upon the Ministry of Home Affairs to furnish the document before the enforcement of the Lok Sabha election model code of conduct.
Reiterating their stance from the 2023 Assembly elections, ENPO emphasized their call for non-participation in any State and Central electoral processes until their demand for a separate state, “Frontier Nagaland,” is realized.
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