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It is a well-known fact that there has been no Chief Minister of Nagaland from the ENPO areas till date since the creation of the Statehood 60 years ago. In 2014, the State Govt ruled by Naga People’s Front (NPF) had proposed the then senior most Cabinet Minister Mr Noke Konyak to be the Chief Minister of Nagaland. However it was learnt that Mr Noke Konyak flatly refused on health ground that he was a heart ‘(cardiac) patient’. Subsequent to that, some Angami elders had an emergency meeting to persuade Mr Noke Konyak to accept the offer since he would be the most capable person fit to take the responsibility of the Chief Minister at that point in time. Over and above that, the Angami elders believed that in order to have equitable development, our honourable legislative members from the ENPO areas also should take the responsibilities of the Chief Minister at least for sometime, therefore the Angami elders’ meeting had nominated a 3-member delegation, namely Mr Krurovi Peseyie, Mr Niketu Iralu and Mr Kuolachalie Seyie to approach Mr Noke Konyak requesting him not to reject such an opportunity being offered to him as well as to the ENPO.
We the 3-member delegates were given prompt appointment on the very next morning of our Angami elders’ meeting by our then Hon’ble Cabinet Minister Mr Noke Konyak at his residence at Kohima. Mr Noke Konyak was a close associate of many of our Angami leaders and was a renowned elder statesman, and we had so much confidence that he would positively respond to our earnest and fervent request. However, despite narrating all the reasons in detail of how it is earnestly desired of him to not turn down the offer of request to be the Chief Minister, he did not accept the request citing personal handicap in the command of the official English language amongst other reasons.
As entrusted, we did our very best to convince him that his legendary wisdom and erudition that he had acquired being an elderly renowned statesman of our community is more than enough, and also the Naga leaders including the top leaders in the Govt were unanimously supportive of his candidature to become the Chief Minister of Nagaland. The poor English that he had cited as a reason was not something that one ought to be worried because the Chief Minister’s Office is adequately capable to take care of the English language which is not our indigenous language and nobody would blame him for the weakness in the language. What was more needed was his integrity, wisdom and statesmanship which he already had. However, it was an unfortunate matter that we did not get a positive response. This incident is narrated here today not as a complaint against anyone but to state that our hearts were and are unwaveringly committed to the welfare of the ENPO people and we are not against our eastern brethren in any way.