ENPO letter to Eastern Nagaland Churches sheds light on status of Frontier Nagaland Territory issue

The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) has written to the Baptist church associations of the eight Eastern Nagaland tribes on September 14 requesting special prayers for the 20 elected members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly from the region, who form the Eastern Nagaland Legislators Union (ENLU), seeking divine providence on the Frontier Nagaland Territory issue during the Sunday devotional service on September 22, 2024.

This request comes as part of their ongoing efforts to address the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) issue. Incidentally, the ENPO letter to the churches appended by A Chingmak Chang, president, and M Honang Konyak, general secretary, shed light on the current status of the FNT question.

In the letter, ENPO expressed gratitude to the Eastern Churches for their support during the ENPO-MHA Committee Meeting held on August 13, 2024. The letter highlighted the organization’s belief that their prayers had been instrumental in guiding their decisions.

Regarding the FNT issue, the ENPO outlined the current situation and its frustrations. According to a briefing by AK Mishra on August 13, 2023, as mentioned in the letter, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) would revise the draft proposal after receiving comments from the Nagaland state government. A tripartite discussion involving the MHA, state government, and the ENPO was to occur before any final agreements were made.

In response, the ENPO had urged the Nagaland Chief Minister to expedite the state government’s comments on the draft and had also requested the ENLU to ensure that their suggestions were incorporated into the state’s response. Despite these efforts, according to the letter, a press statement from the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) on August 28, 2024, categorically declared that “the State Government would first thoroughly deliberate on the proposals with the Eastern Nagaland legislators having 20 MLAs in the State only after which further steps will be taken.” This, the ENPO letter said, was the “current stalemate on FNT.”

“The ENPO is in utmost dismay since the response of the state government is not in due consonance to the request tabled by the ENPO,” the letter read.

The ENPO has expressed dismay over the state government’s handling of the situation, accusing it of undermining the collective responsibility outlined in Article 75 (3) of the Indian Constitution.

The letter further said that the State Government had “directly undermined the spirit of the “collective responsibility” as envisaged under Art 75 (3) by segregating the ENLU and being held self-accountable on the FNT Movement. On the contrary, the ENLU is yet to pass its “comment” thus resulted the stalemate on FNT issue.”

The ENPO’s appeal underscores the critical role of the ENLU in shaping the future of the FNT movement and highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the organization in its quest for self-governance and development in Eastern Nagaland.

The ENPO’s letter concluded with a call for prayers, emphasizing the importance of divine wisdom and intervention in resolving the FNT issue: “Today, the FNT ball being placed at the ENLU’s court shall determine the fate of FNT. Hence, the ENPO fervently appeals to all Eastern Churches to conduct special prayer for our 20 ENLU members who shall determine the fate on our quest towards Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT). Let God’s divine intervention and wisdom be upon our 20 elected members in fulfilling people’s aspiration and dream for self-governance and progress through FNT,” the letter read.

The organization cited Psalm 127:1, believing that without divine guidance, their efforts would be in vain.

MT