Chief Minister Rio slammed for Frontier Nagaland issue

Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation has rejected reports that Centre had offered an autonomous council for six eastern districts in poll-bound Nagaland, instead of a State

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio | File Photo | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar

GUWAHATI

Two former Chief Ministers of Nagaland have slammed incumbent Neiphiu Rio for creating a situation that led to the demand for bifurcating the State.

Their criticism of Nagaland’s Chief Minister followed reports that the Centre had offered an autonomous council comprising six eastern districts of the poll-bound Nagaland.

The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), however, said the talks with the Centre regarding the settlement of its demand for ‘Frontier Nagaland’, had not been conclusive.

The ENPO represents seven major Naga tribes inhabiting the districts of Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator and Tuensang. It has been demanding the Frontier Nagaland State since 2010, for alleged discrimination.

Former Chief Minister, S.C. Jamir said the Nagas of the eastern part of Nagaland were forced to approach the Centre due to the neglect of their areas by the present government.

“Development of these areas would not have spurred a statehood demand,” he said.

K.L. Chishi, another former Chief Minister said the people of the eastern part of the State had risen against Nagaland because of “gross injustice” meted out to them. He blamed the statehood demand on the State’s political leaders for “amassing wealth meant for the development” of Nagaland.

ENPO secretary W. Manwang Konyak said the ENPO had not been offered any deal on statehood, or any arrangement close to it. “Nothing has been finalised yet,” he told The Hindu on Thursday.

He declined to comment on whether or not the ENPO would withdraw its call for boycotting the February 27 elections to the 60-member Nagaland Assembly. The boycott affects 20 seats across the proposed Frontier Nagaland.

The Konyak Union, the apex body of the Konyak Naga community, had insisted on boycotting the polls and making anyone who filed a nomination from the Konyak land, an outcast.

But the Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union rejected the boycott call on January 23 and resolved to contest the elections.