Kohima: The Nagaland government would urge the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) to reconsider their demand for a separate state and not to boycott the forthcoming Assembly elections, a minister said on Wednesday.
Parliamentary Affairs, Planning and Coordination Minister Neiba Kronu said that the state cabinet, in its meeting on Tuesday, resolved that government would appeal to the ENPO to reconsider their demand for a separate state of ‘Frontier Nagaland’ and not to boycott the Assembly elections, expected to be held in February.
Noting that Union Home Minister Amit Shah would visit Nagaland on Friday, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the state in the second week of January, he said: “After the visit of the Prime Minister and Home Minister some decision on the demand would be taken.”
Recent discussions between the Central government and the ENPO have to be shared with the state government and then, some decision can be taken, he added.
The Nagaland government earlier suggested constituting an autonomous council which was rejected by the ENPO, Kronu said.
Claiming that the six districts — Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak, and Shamator — have been neglected for years, the ENPO has been demanding a separate state since 2010.
In support of their demand of creation of ‘Frontier Nagaland’, seven tribes of Nagaland, rejecting the state government’s appeal, had also boycotted the recent ‘Hornbill Festival’ (December 1-10).
A central team, constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, headed by Adviser, North East, A.K. Mishra, during their visit in Nagaland in mid-December, held a series of meetings with various Naga bodies including ENPO, Eastern Nagaland Women Organisation, Eastern Nagaland Students’ Federation and ‘Gaon Bura Union’ representatives.
(IANS)
