By Express News Service
GUWAHATI: Ahead of its meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah, the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) has reiterated that the people of eastern Nagaland will boycott Assembly elections, expected in February next year, if the Centre fails to create the “Frontier Nagaland” state by bifurcating Nagaland.
The ENPO, which is the apex organisation of the Nagas of eastern Nagaland, said it had received an invitation from Shah for a meeting in New Delhi on December 3.
“We will take part in the meeting but we stand firm on our decision to boycott the elections if the separate Frontier Nagaland state is not granted to the people of eastern Nagaland,” W Manwang Anghaa, the secretary of ENPO, told this newspaper on Monday. The statehood demand is non-negotiable, he added.
Nagaland has 60 Assembly seats and 16 districts. The people of eastern Nagaland envisage a separate state by slicing off the six eastern Nagaland districts of Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator and Tuensang which have altogether 20 Assembly constituencies. Some of these districts share a border with Myanmar.
“Nobody will take part in the elections. If people contest, who will vote for them? And if somebody does not comply with our decision and goes to vote, he or she will face actions. We are desperate for statehood,” Anghaa said.
The people of ENPO region have already decided not to take part in the 10-day annual state government-organised Hornbill Festival beginning on December 1. It draws tourists from around the world. The demand of statehood stems from the alleged backwardness of eastern Nagaland region.
“The Centre has given a lot of money but it is only for Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung districts. There is total discrimination against eastern Nagaland region for the past 60 years,” Anghaa alleged. Kohima is the capital of Nagaland while Dimapur is its commercial hub.
GUWAHATI: Ahead of its meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah, the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) has reiterated that the people of eastern Nagaland will boycott Assembly elections, expected in February next year, if the Centre fails to create the “Frontier Nagaland” state by bifurcating Nagaland.
The ENPO, which is the apex organisation of the Nagas of eastern Nagaland, said it had received an invitation from Shah for a meeting in New Delhi on December 3.
“We will take part in the meeting but we stand firm on our decision to boycott the elections if the separate Frontier Nagaland state is not granted to the people of eastern Nagaland,” W Manwang Anghaa, the secretary of ENPO, told this newspaper on Monday. The statehood demand is non-negotiable, he added.
Nagaland has 60 Assembly seats and 16 districts. The people of eastern Nagaland envisage a separate state by slicing off the six eastern Nagaland districts of Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator and Tuensang which have altogether 20 Assembly constituencies. Some of these districts share a border with Myanmar.
“Nobody will take part in the elections. If people contest, who will vote for them? And if somebody does not comply with our decision and goes to vote, he or she will face actions. We are desperate for statehood,” Anghaa said.
The people of ENPO region have already decided not to take part in the 10-day annual state government-organised Hornbill Festival beginning on December 1. It draws tourists from around the world. The demand of statehood stems from the alleged backwardness of eastern Nagaland region.
“The Centre has given a lot of money but it is only for Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung districts. There is total discrimination against eastern Nagaland region for the past 60 years,” Anghaa alleged. Kohima is the capital of Nagaland while Dimapur is its commercial hub.