Why there is a boycott call for Lok Sabha polls in six districts of eastern Nagaland

Leaders of 10 organisations from six districts in eastern Nagaland have decided to boycott the Lok Sabha elections. The decision was made at a public meeting in Tuensang, where they agreed to adhere to a resolution from February 23, calling for abstention from Central or State elections. The Eastern Nagaland Public Organisation (ENPO), the leading group, stated that this resolution is due to the Centre's failure to establish the 'Frontier Nagaland Territory' before the announcement of the model code of conduct for the parliamentary polls. Home Minister Amit Shah had promised a positive step towards this on December 7, 2023. ENPO has been tasked with formulating strategies for implementing the boycott and will write to the Centre to disregard any write-ups or suggestions on the Frontier Nagaland Territory from anyone else. Eastern Nagaland has long felt neglected in terms of development. The residents believe that a special arrangement with financial autonomy could help improve their situation. Documents showing economic disparity have been made public over the years. The demand for a separate state has evolved into a request for a unique arrangement under Article 371 (A) that would provide executive, legislative, and financial autonomy, an arrangement not currently present in the northeast.

According to Manno Wangnao, an independent Journalist from Eastern Nagaland, data on government job holders exposes how a certain tribe from western Nagaland, or forward tribe as they are referred to, has 23000 government employees in comparison to the largest and most populous tribe, the Konyaks only have 7000 government employees. Why govt jobs play a crucial role in the security of its citizens, is the lack of a robust private sector in Nagaland. So when a family does not have a single govt employee in the family, they stare at an uncertain future without financial security. For example in most areas of Nagaland except cities like Dimapur and Kohima, due to Article 371(a) in place, the citizens are not eligible to access investments in the form of bank loans. Therefore without a government job, it’s a question of survival in terrains where the logistics are a nightmare.

Another data on infrastructural development shows almost zero save for one upcoming medical college in Mon. This lopsided development has ensured the exponential growth of cities like Dimapur and Kohima, whereas the eastern area especially Mon, the roads are in a deplorable state in the Mon district. No evidence of development in terms of industry and commerce was visible.

Department of Under Developed Areas or DUDA as it is popularly known, as its name suggests is meant for developing underdeveloped areas. This fund has gained intense scrutiny from those who feel it has been misused to suit the purpose of the state’s power. Joel Naga of The Rising People’s party calls this fund the pocket money department of the Nagaland government. It has accused the govt of misusing the fund to construct endless retaining walls, footsteps, culverts, helipads, etc instead of using it judiciously to build schools, hospitals, sporting facilities, and good roads, which would have developed the eastern region.

A demand for a separate state or entity within India, known as Frontier Nagaland, is being sought by certain Naga tribes seeking self-determination and autonomy. The Eastern Nagaland Students' Federation has outlined several reasons for this demand. The Eastern Nagaland region, historically and geographically, was never under foreign rule prior to Indian Independence and was an 'excluded and un-administered' area. It was only in 1948 that this region became a part of India. Today, the region covers districts such as Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Tuensang, Shamator, and Noklak. The region was amalgamated with the Naga Hills District of Assam into one administrative unit in 1957. Nagaland was declared a State under the Union of India in 1962, amalgamating the Eastern Nagaland region and Naga Hills District of Assam. However, the Eastern Nagaland region feels under-represented in the Nagaland State Assembly, despite having 48% of the total state population. The region also alleges that the equitable allocation of money provided by the Central Government to the Nagaland Government has never been implemented. The people of the Eastern Nagaland Region have expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of development in the region. The per capita income in the Eastern Nagaland region stands at around Rs 5,000, in comparison to the rest of Nagaland state which stands at Rs 16,000. The employment rate in the Eastern Nagaland region stands at 18 percent, despite the implementation of the Reservation Policy. The Eastern Nagaland Students' Federation has presented these statistics to the officials of the Home Ministry, Government of India.

Under the Constitution of India, Art. 371 (A) Clause 2(B) specifies that the Governor of Nagaland must ensure fair allocation of Central Government funds between Tuensang district and the remainder of the state. This has not been implemented, according to Manpang Wangyen, the general secretary of the Konyak union. He asserts that the Governor of Nagaland has failed to fulfill this constitutional duty. Wangyen also stressed the importance of granting Frontier Nagaland for Eastern Nagaland's development. He pointed out that Western Nagas, who received education pre-Independence and are fortunate to have the state capital and commercial city of Dimapur in their region, are more advanced. This disparity has led to the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) deciding to abstain from elections.

Amid the growing uncertainty over the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) demand, the Konyak Union released a public statement on 16th March, urging the public to ensure they have enough essential supplies. Following the announcement, a tense calmness has descended upon eastern Nagaland.

On March 8 Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) announced a 'public emergency' in Eastern Nagaland regions, calling for a 'total bandh' in Kiphire, Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Shamator and Noklak districts until further notice. ENPO rejected a plea from 20 local legislators to postpone a meeting slated for March 19. On the same day, leaders of 10 groups from six eastern Nagaland districts decided to boycott the Lok Sabha elections. The public emergency is a response to the Indian government's alleged unfulfilled promises regarding the allocation of Frontier Nagaland territory to the people of Eastern Nagaland. Despite a written assurance, the promise remains unfulfilled.