Naga body temporarily lifts ‘public emergency’ in 6 districts after 4 months

The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) has announced a temporary suspension of the ‘public emergency’ it has imposed in the tribal areas in six eastern districts of Nagaland. The ‘public emergency’ was declared in Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator districts on March 5, 2024.

In a statement, the organization said the decision to suspend the call was taken during an executive board meeting on July 3 at its headquarters in Tuensang.

According to ENPO, the suspension of the “public emergency” was a measure to promote mutual understanding and seek a peaceful solution to the creation of a Frontier Autonomous Nagaland (FNT) by the Indian government. However, the suspension could be reviewed in case of “compelling circumstances”, it said.

The ENPO demanded a separate state of “Frontier Nagaland” as early as 2010, as development deficits prevailed in its area. Although the original demand was the creation of a separate state of “Frontier Nagaland” to be carved out of present-day Nagaland, the central government representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, led by Advisor (Northeast) AK Mishra, negotiated an alternative arrangement – autonomy for the region – in 2022.

The ENPO, which represents Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Sangtam, Tikhir, Yimkhiung and East Sümi municipalities, has had a standing resolution since February to stay away from the federal and state assembly elections until the issues of the FNT formation are resolved. Due to this resolution, people in the six districts did not participate in the Lok Sabha elections in April and the recently concluded state Urban Local Body (ULB) elections. There are 20 constituencies and 14 municipal councils in the eastern region.

Meanwhile, ENPO reacted to media reports that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had said that the state government was considering nominating members for the ULBs in the eastern districts. The government said that the people of the region had not participated in the ULB elections and hence the question of nominating candidates for the ULBs in eastern Nagaland did not arise.