DIMAPUR — The Eastern Nagaland Legislators Union’s (ENLU) assertion that the eastern Nagaland bodies have rejected the draft proposal given by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was countered by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) on Thursday.
The ENPO claimed that, as the negotiating party, they have yet to receive the official draft from the MHA, and that they have neither reviewed nor are aware of the contents of the ENLU's draft.
This difference of opinion emerged following a joint coordination meeting of the ENPO, ENLU and other frontal organisations, convened by the Eastern Nagaland Gazetted Officers Association on Feb.14 at Tourist Lodge in Dimapur.
In a video shared with Eastern Mirror, ENPO president Tsapikiu Sangtam said that the ENLU had brought a copy of highlights of the draft Memorandum of Settlement (MoS), supposedly given to the state government, “but there was no discussion nor comment from the ENPO and frontal organisations on this matter since we have not received our official draft.”
After receiving the draft, ENPO will have a wider consultation with all the stakeholders of eastern Nagaland, Sangtam asserted.
The ENPO leader said that the Feb.14 meeting was a joint coordination meeting and no resolutions were adopted. While the ENLU brought a supposed copy of the draft, “ENPO clearly told the ENLU that we will not speak on the draft as the ENPO is the negotiating party so if the draft has to come from the MHA it should come first to the ENPO,” Sangtam reiterated.
Reacting to the statement given by an ENLU member to some sections of media, he asserted that that the Feb.14 meeting was not a proper house. There are talk team members as well who are spearheading this talk, so unless ENPO receive the official draft, we will not discuss on it, Sangtam said.
“When we have not discussed about the draft, the question of rejection or acceptance should not arise because rejection or acceptance will be decided upon only after we receive the official draft. The rejection statement through halfway meeting is misleading. Yesterday’s meeting was an abrupt meeting with no apex tribal bodies except for one, no talk team members, so taking unanimous decision in yesterday’s meeting was not appropriate,” he reiterated.
The ENPO president went on to state that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured on Dec.7, 2023, that the issue would be settled before the election Model Code of Conduct is enforced. This, coming from a nation’s leader, we have big expectation and trust his word, he added.
“The state government, bringing the draft is misleading so we will not adhere to the draft which is available in the market, unless we receive it officially”, Sangtam maintained.
ENPO secretary Manwang Konyak said that the ENLU’s draft copy was from the MHA to the state government for suggestion and comments and not to the ENPO. “As and when the GoI gives an official copy to ENPO, our comments will come after that. Yesterday’s statement was not from us,” he affirmed.
He held that the ENPO, as the negotiating party, the draft should come to them directly through proper channel and not through other sources.
Based on Shah’s assurance, he said the ENPO had requested for the draft so that they can go through it before signing the settlement. The request was agreed with and we are waiting for the draft, the ENPO secretary said.
“We asked for Union Territory which was also not possible from the government. Not exactly autonomous council but unique model territory arrangement was made by the central govt. So based on this, we have laid out structure for 10 years. After 10 years we will review our MoS after which we will take decision”, Konyak maintained.
ENPO general secretary Manlang Phom elucidated that initially ENPO’s demand was for full-fledged statehood but in December last year, the Union HM briefed the team stating that the GoI was not in a position to recognise a new state or UT.
He said that the state government had also appealed the team, repeatedly, to reconsider their demand and when the ENPO went back to the public for their opinion for third option, “The public, other stakeholders, frontal organisations were willing for third option if both the demand was not possible.”
The third option— Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) — was not the ENPO’s suggestion. It was suggested by the GoI and seconded by the eastern people and so, it is being pursued, Phom maintained.
“We were assured that the final draft will be handed over in a week, in a month but till date we have not received the final draft. Because of this, we are also worried as when the election Model Code of Conduct is enforced we will not be able to do anything so we are pressurising the GoI to hand over the draft soon,” Phom said, adding that if the model code of conduct is enforced before they receive the draft, they are working on a strategy which “cannot be revealed now”.
The ENPO is said to have held a meeting at its Treasurer’s residence at Sovima in Chümoukedima, on Thursday.