Chronology: From Backward Tract to Frontier Territory

The process of the isolation of Eastern Areas can be traced back to 20th century with the creation of Excluded Area in the Naga Hills District under the province of Assam. So before we proceed to the discussion of the current contemporary problem, it is advertent to rewind at the history for better understanding. Let’s examine the chronology of the region as to understand the sentiments and demands of the people. After British contact with the Nagas in 1932, the British established their first  headquarter after reoccupation of samaguting in 1866 and subsequently sub-divisional headquarters were created in 1875 at  Wokha, in 1879 at Kohima, in 1889 at Mokokchung and Permanent headquarter after re-occupation of Kohima was established in 1881 but Tuensang areas remained as un-administered area until 1902 with the label of Tribal Area. In 1880, Assam frontier Tracts Regulation was implemented and extended up to the Naga tribal areas and so the first British expedition to Tuensang areas reached on 12 January 1889, the British though were able to bring certain area under their control but it could not fully enforce their administration. The area remained un-administered and within the political and certain area beyond political control.

In 1914, Tuensang area was clubbed under the North East Frontier Tract by the regulation of Assam Frontier Tract Regulation Act of 1880, the area remained as tribal area under section 311 of the govt of India Act 1935 by which no British laws and regulation were to be implemented in this area and thus the area remained officially un-administered until 1948.

On 10 January 1929, the Naga club submitted a memorandum to Simon commission, this memorandum was first Naga political document ever submitted to a foreign ruler. The Simon commission was dispatched to India in 1927 to study the constitutional reforms for India under the seven British members of parliament headed by Sir John Allsebrook Simon, clement Atlee, Harry Levy-Lawson, Edward Cadogan, Vernon Hartshorn, George Lane-Fox and Donald Howard. The commission arrived in India on 03 February 1928 at Bombay and in the Naga Hills on 10 January 1929.  As per the recommendation of Simon commission submitted by the Naga club, the Govt. of India under the Act of 1935 renamed the Naga Hill District as the ‘Naga Hills Excluded Area’ on 03 March 1936 removing the ‘Backward Tract’ label  earlier declared by the Govt. of India Act of 1919.

In 1948, a separate Administrative center as Tuensang Administrative Circle was established at Tuensang. In 1950, Tuensang area was placed under Part B of Tribal district as per the 6th Schedule of the constitution of India and in 1951, Tuensang area was brought under North East Frontier Tract alongside the Balipara, Mishmi, Tirap,  Abhor region.

In 1954- North East Frontier Tract were renamed as North East Frontier Agency and  were divided into 6 division, under which Tuensang area were kept separately as Tuensang Frontier Division.

In 1955, Tuensang Assimilation of Laws Act was implemented by which all laws that are enforced within North East Frontier Agency will be applicable and be enforced into the Tuensang area. On 1st Dec1957- Tuensang Frontier Division were joined with Naga Hills District and renamed as Naga Hill Tuensang Area within the administration of the Governor of Assam, kept under the External Affairs Ministry of GoI.

After the Naga People Convention, agreement with the Govt. of India based on 16-point agreement.  In 1961, Naga Hills Tuensang Area was renamed as Nagaland and on 1st Dec 1963, Nagaland was formally declared as the 16th State of the Union of India with three district Kohima, Mokokchung and Tuensang but Tuensang area was kept under the charge of Governor with the establishment of Regional Council for a period of 10 year.

On 21st December 1973, Tuensang was created as a separate district and Mon district were created at the same time. Kiphire and Longleng were carved out in 2003 then Noklak on 20th January 2021 and Shamator on 19th January 2022, Now the Eastern areas demanding the Separate Statehood visa vis a Frontier Territory has 6 district as Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator with 7 Tribes as Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Sangtam, Tikhir, Yimkhiung population with almost 1 million covering an estimated area of 8,154 sq.km.

The demand for the frontier Nagaland started in 2010 under the banner of Eastern Naga People Organisation (ENPO). ENPO was formed in 1997.

ENPO primary demand of seperate statehood was driven due to the economic negligence of the area concerning infrastructural development related deprivation. The worst scenario was seen during the covid pandemic, the lack of hospital, roads connectivity, communication, education and job opportunities. ENPO claimed that even the 25 percent reservation policy are not properly implemented thereby inequality arises among the Job holding percentage within the Govt. of Nagaland.

So, on 25 November 2010, ENPO submitted a memorandum to the then Prime Minister of India Shri Manmoham Singh and based on the memorandum, on 6 Dec 2010, Home minister P. Chidambaram under the congress govt offered the Regional Council status to ENPO but the ENPO rejected the offer and demanded a full-fledged Frontier Nagaland state.

On 14 December 2010, another memorandum was submitted to the central govt and thereby the status of Autonomous Council authority was offered but again, this offer was rejected.

In 2011, another memorandum was submitted to the Prime minister of India by ENPO under the then President Mangko Phom and General Secretary of steering committee, Toshi Wungtung. At the same time in  2011, Nagaland Legislative Assembly  also recommended the creation of Autonomous Council and subsequently on 5 June 2012, the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram met the CM Rio and Cabinet Minister of  the Govt. of Nagaland. GoN states that the centre had  ruled out the demand of separate statehood but ENPO leaders claim that the possibilities was not ruled out by the central govt.

Govt of Nagaland  also offered 500 crore package in lieu of statehood to ENPO but it rejected the offer. In 2011, Govt. of India is said to have offered 300 crore package to ENPO but ENPO declined that they have not received the fund.

On 4 Dec 2012, The BJP National President, Nitin Gadkari asserted that a separate state of Frontier Nagaland will be carved out if BJP came to power in Lok Sabha election of 2014. BJP came to power but it remained a fake promise until now which is not yet solved even after a decade of remaining in power. However, a round of talks taken by the central govt cannot be ruled out, the serious official talks began after NDA came to power in 2014 and talks began by 2015.

On sept 2015, MHA offered Development packages but ENPO rejected even this time stating that they are not going to compromise the frontier statehood demand with economic packages.

In Sept 2018, Central govt offered another solution but it is the same developmental package yet again even this time, ENPO rejected the developmental package.

As election knocks on the door, the same old promises resurface, the promise of solution if comes to power, the BJP came to power for the second time but the promises remained unfulfilled. 

On 26 August 2022, ENPO called a meeting at the Tourist Lodge in Dimapur and resolution was taken to boycott the upcoming state election. Marathon meeting was held in different district as on 16 Nov 2022 at Mon and 19 Dec 2022 at Tuensang and boycott movement was carried out by 7 tribal councils within the ENPO jurisdiction. The incumbent 20 MLA were asked to resign and boycott the 2022 state election.

On 6 Dec 2022, H.M Amit Shah visited Nagaland as a part of state election campaign and meeting also held with ENPO leaders, a meeting in the presence of sitting MP Phongnon Konyak and former MPs Asungba Sangtam and Wangyuh Konyak was held and HM assured ENPO to resolve the issue. Amit shah also assured to visit ENPO areas by January 2023.

A proposal was also made about the Frontier Naga Territory in Dec 2022 under Interlocutor AK Mishra and On 3 Jan 2023, emergency meeting was held at DUDA guest house in Sovima and resolution was taken to Boycott the election.

On 5 Jan 2023, at a meeting held in Guwahati where the MHA agreed to offer a blueprint to settle ENPO issue, a meeting with ENPO leaders and 3-member committee of GoI consisting of i. AK Mishra- Interlocutor and Advisor of North east. ii. Mandeep Singh- Joint Director of Intelligence Bureau and iii. AK Dhayani- Director, MHA, Northeast Division.

On 16 Jan 2023, MHA sent a letter to ENPO and asked to review its stand on its demand of frontier Nagaland while at the same time, Naga civil bodies and Naga political groups also appealed ENPO to reconsider its stand on separate state on account of the impending Naga solution.

On 22 Jan 2023, ENPO called another emergency meeting with ENLU and decision to uphold the boycotting of election was re-asserted but on 23 Jan 2023, ENLU defying boycott call held a meeting and resolved to participate in state election. So on 2 Feb 2023, after a consultative meeting, ENPO declared participation in state poll.

After election on 24 June 2023, ENPO after meeting accepted proposal of ‘Frontier Territory’ as proposed in Dec 2022 by Govt. of India.

As on 6 Dec 2023, HM Amit shah visited Nagaland as part of state election campaign and on 7 Dec 2023, HM Amit shah assured settlement of ENPO issue before enforcement of Election Code of Conduct for Lok Sabha election 2024 but now election date been announced and poll is going to be held but no final settlement was made yet.

On 16 Dec 2023, a 3 member committee of MHA arrived in Tuensang to discuss the ENPO issue-

but the meeting was not successful and after meeting, ENPO President  R. Tsapikiu Sangtam stated that they will boycott Central and State election if Govt of India did not fulfill their demand and reject the solution of economic packages or developmental settlement.

After a failed negotiation; on 23 Feb 2024, a collaborative meeting was held at Chenmoho village in Mon district and ENPO decided to boycott 2024 Lok Sabha and on 8 march 2024, ENPO held an emergency meeting and demanded a final draft of MoS, declared Public emergency within Eastern areas which is now suspended from  21 March 2024.

ENPO wants a final draft and a date of signing the MoS with Govt.of India.

Now what are the ENPO grievances and what are they demanding. ENPO claimed that the area of ENPO consisting of 6 district occupies an estimated area of 8,154 sq. km out of 16,579 sq. km of Nagaland state. So in terms of area, almost 48 percent of total land of present Nagaland state are occupied by Eastern Nagas and in terms of population when the demand for Frontier Nagaland was raised in 2010 the total population was around 0.9+ million that is almost half the total population of Nagaland.

It claimed that even though it has almost half percent in terms of area and pollution, there is unequal distribution of political representatives, economic and infrastructural development that only 6 MLA out of 40 MLA was allotted to eastern areas at the time of the creation of Nagaland statehood in 1963.

Later in 1968, 12 MLAs were alloted and after Tuensang area got separate district hood in 1973 increased to 20 seats that are still in application. The per capita income in eastern areas is quite below the average of other districts of Nagaland that the per capita income of Eastern areas is just INR 5000 as against INR 16,000 of other districts of Nagaland.

As per the memorandum submitted in 2010 and consequent demands, some of the demands of ENPO are –

i. Creation of 45 departments under new administrative structure.

ii. A Separate State Assembly.

iiI. A Separate Capital.

iv. A Separate Secretariat.

v. A Separate High Court.

vi. A Separate Governor.

vii. Additional Director General of Police for the Frontier territory.

viii. Implementation of Art 371(A) – by which it also mean implementation of BEFR 1873 and Art 371A.

ix. Direct central development funding from the Central govt, this is also based on the provision in Art 371(A) under which it gives a special provision to eastern areas i.e. under Clause 1, Sub clause special provision for the administration of Eastern areas.

Secondly; Clause 2, sub clause  consolidated fund for development provided to the govt to Nagaland, the Governor shall arrange equitable allocation for Tuensang district.

xi. After this, if MoS is agreed and signed between ENPO and GoI, an interim govt will set up for a period of one year to carry out the process of agreement into full implementation.

So, this is why and some of what the ENPO demands are and if we look through, it is legitimately fair if we look outside the context of Naga settlement.

The area has been isolated and deprived of proper administration although it was the Nagas that was resisting the British rule in their territory, the region didn’t have a robust administration both under the British government and post colonial era under the Govt. of India, under Nagaland Govt and has been meted a step motherly treatment.

One thing that I truly want to appreciate the leaders of ENPO for is their adamant commitment and demand, they didn’t succumb to the just temporary arrangement or settlement of financial, economic or developmental packages but for standing for a long term solution for future generations, for the betterment and welfare of the people Eastern Nagas. The economic package will be emptied in few years or decades but if proper solutions are made, that is going to last forever yet the ENPO and people also have to realise and introspect whether they are electing the right political representative to stand for them or their own leaders are stumbling the victory of the movement.

With this settlement, reservation policy as backward quota will need to come to an end, delimitation be implemented and disintegration of Naga areas will be averted, however the demand of Governor as the head of State, if it means head only for the state of Frontier territory then it depends on the people mandate but if it is for the whole state, then the demand needs introspection by the Nagas as whole because Nagaland state will be directly placed under the Central govt even below the position of Union territory because even in UT, the Chief Minister is the Head of the State and not the Governor but under this arrangement the governor will be the head of the State and the Chief Minister will just be the nominal head of the state.

This arrangement will also be first in the country where the Governor, appointed by the Central govt will be the head and not the Nagas elected leader. So if this is true, I also appeal to reconsider on this demand as this demand is impracticable.

ENPO should also make the content of the MoS public and let public be aware of the full demands of the ENPOs and not to conceal just within the Legislative spheres as this is the concern of Nagas as a whole.

Besides this if Nagas do not agree to grant ENPO demands then they should not complain the reservation policy/quota.  Airport, Railways, Separate University, Hospitals, 4 lane roads and other public infrastructure should be constructed immediately within a specific period.

40- 50 percent of Legislative seats as per the area and population should be equitably arranged and  given to Eastern Nagas but will Nagas of Nagaland agree to sacrifice their Lion share.

Hokato Awomi

Activist/Asst.professor

Dimapur

hokatosumi@gmail.com