Nagaland govt optimistic about resolution of Frontier Nagaland Territory demand

Kohima, Jan 23: The Nagaland Government remains hopeful about the Centre and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) making sincere efforts to address the demand for creating a Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT). The proposed territory would comprise six eastern districts of the State.

ENPO, which has long sought the formation of a separate State, recently "temporarily" accepted the Centre's proposal for granting the region a certain degree of autonomy. The latest tripartite meeting on the issue was held on January 15 in Chumoukedima district.

Senior Minister and State Government spokesperson KG Kenye stated, "We hope both sides (Ministry of Home Affairs and ENPO) will approach the matter sincerely and reasonably. All aspirations may not be fulfilled immediately, but progress is being made."

ENPO President A Chingmak Chang emphasized the importance of financial, executive, and legislative autonomy for any agreement. "Without these, no agreement can be signed," Chang asserted.

The Nagaland Government has reviewed the proposals from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and has expressed satisfaction with some of the selected demands. Minister Kenye also highlighted ongoing consultations with territorial councils, such as Bodoland in Assam, to learn from their governance models.

However, the ENPO has made it clear that they do not wish the proposed FNT to fall under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which governs autonomous councils in certain northeastern States. Instead, they prefer retaining Nagaland's special constitutional status under Article 371A and reverting to a regional council system that existed between 1964 and 1974.

The discussions remain at a critical juncture as the Centre and ENPO continue to assess the outcomes of the January 15 meeting and explore avenues for resolution.