EMN
DIMAPUR, JULY 31
In Nagaland the birth of the Telangana state leaves most people questioning the impact it will have on the demand for statehood by Eastern Naga People’s Organistaion.
Only last week the ENPO called a bandh to raise this demand in the four districts of Tuensang,Mon,Longleng and Kiphire.The rally unlike previous rallies drew widespread massive support including all the village council representatives in the four districts.
When contacted to react on how the creation of Telangana state would affect the ENPO statehood demand the leaders of the Organisation said they are optimistic. Not willing outline immediate plans the leader has hinted that they will request the centre to hold bi- lateral talks instead of the tri partite talks with the state .
It may be recalled that the ENPO has rejected the state government’s proposal of the creation of an Autonomous Council and also the tripartite level between the state, centre and ENPO on the subject. They argue that the status of an Autonomous Council is one they have experienced 48 years ago, as an un administered area known as the North East Frontier Agency and then the Naga Hills Tuensang Area.
The ENPO leaders have been maintaining that it is always better for concerned parties (in this case the ENPO and the centre) to address the issue instead of involving a middleman (i.e the state government).
The ENPO leaders while raising the demand for statehood are also careful to point out that the demand of the Naga national workers for sovereignty and the demand of the ENPO for separate Statehood are two different issues.
Like many other parts of the country where the demand of statehood is being raised even the ENPO raises the question of “what is wrong with creating smaller state”?
There may not be any clear answer to that but nevertheless ,Telangana has certainly raised a public debate on the issue.
