ENPO claims Modi government has agreed for separate legislature for Frontier Nagaland

A three-member team headed by Advisor for MHA (Northeast) A K Mishra, and comprising Intelligence Bureau joint director Mandeep Singh Tuli and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) northeast division director A K Dhayani held a meeting with the members of the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), the apex tribal organisation of eastern Nagaland in Guwahati on January 5, 2023.

The Government of India (GoI) has agreed to provide a separate legislature for frontier Nagaland along with access to financial, judicial as well as executive powers, claims a senior ENPO member.

Notably, a second round of meetings between GoI and the ENPO members has been scheduled to be held in Guwahati likely in the second week of January.

Meanwhile, according to a reliable source, the GoI will announce the nomenclature for Frontier Nagaland in the coming week, however, the ENPO members are said to study the same before it is announced once they reach Nagaland on January 6.

Sources further said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Tuensang in Nagaland in likely in the second week of January to formally announce the same.

Notably, ENPO has members from all seven tribes- Konyaks, Phoms, Changs, Khiamniungans, Yimchungrus, Tikhir and Sangtams.

It is to be mentioned here that the Home Minister is also scheduled to visit the state on January 6 for party-related works.

"The demand is for a separate state called "Frontier Nagaland," which consists of four of the most backward districts and six major Naga tribes. "The reason for such a movement is for the development and welfare of the people in eastern Nagaland," said Manglang Phom, the general secretary of ENPO, while speaking to India today.

The ENPO is a coalition of tribal councils and organisations committed to establishing Frontier Nagaland as a separate state in Eastern Nagaland. Last month, an ENPO delegation met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss their demands with the Union government.