No one knows where the 300 crore package given to ENPO is today: K. Asungba Sangtam
Mokokchung, October 18 (MTNews): As the demand for Frontier Nagaland intensifies, in a debate on NorthEastLive TV, K. Asungba Sangtam, convenor of the talk team of ENPO and former MP, while answering whether they have met the top BJP leadership said, they are waiting for the final call from the Home Minister.
Regarding BJP, K Asungba Sangtam recalled on how Nitin Gadkari in 2012 came to Mon and Tuensang and promised that if BJP came to power in 2014, they will support ENPO demand and even said that he will debate on the floor of the house for ENPO.
Sangtam then narrated that in 2014 they met Rajnath Singh, the then Home Minister and according to him, after a patient hearing, Rajnath Singh agreed to have a tripartite talk but they rejected it.
“We said, you just have bilateral talk with the officials of the home ministry with the ENPO delegation then after a thorough deliberation let the state govt. officials join us and let them check whatever we have spelled out before the central government to be able to compare whether we said the right thing or not,” he said.
According to him, four bilateral talks were held and that in the process of the third and fourth, the talk was upgraded to special secretary from joint secretary level.
“In 2019, the Home Secretary called us saying they will send out 10 officers to the eastern Nagaland area. After 10 days they went and verified whatever we said and they came back with a note that whatever the eastern Nagaland has spelled out is all true and that there was nothing we have exaggerated,” Sangtam said.
He further continued that in the final stage when after the tripartite talk was over, the HM called ENPO delegates and said that the matter now will be sent to political level. Sangtam said the HM then asked them to meet NSA Ajit Doval and after meeting with Ajit Doval, they were given another call to meet Minister of State, Nitin Rai who said their case was genuine after their presentation.
“The Home Secretary said that the matter is understood by everyone and will be put before the Home Minister for the final call. Now we are waiting for the final call from the Home Minister,” he said.
Claiming that the 7 tribes of ENPO have always been economically, educationally poor, Sangtam further said that a package of 300 crore was given to Eastern Nagaland some years back.
“The money was given to the state government and nobody knows where that package has gone today,” he stated.
Imkong Imchen hints GK Pillai’s role over disintegration sentiment
Imkong L Imchen while saying that ENPO demand must not be taken lightly, hinted towards the role of former Home Secretary, GK Pillai who claimed that he organized a seminar back in Tuensang which was not in the knowledge of the then CM SC Jamir.
He also claimed that GK Pillai further organized a seminar in Mon which gave rise to ENPO and later, the demand for Frontier Nagaland came into existence.
Regarding the developmental front, he said that 40 MLAs should not be blamed alone but all the 60 MLAs must take equal responsibility.
He further said that he sees no merit for the Indian government in fragmenting Nagaland further.
Azo Nienu: If development is not taking place in my district, can I blame other legislators?
Azo Nienu, while sharing his personal opinion, recalled that the formation of the Tuensang area was only for 10 years as desired by them, and that out of their own will after five years they took part in the election and that was how they came to be a part of the state Nagaland.
“When we talk about step motherly treatment, I will rule that no leader gives step motherly treatment to their own brothers. But maybe their area is so far-flung that development could not reach them on time or could not be well developed therefore somehow they were neglected,” he said.
He then agreed with Imkong L Imchen that the ENPO demand cannot be taken lightly and stated his personal opinion that “Nagaland state is not a state to further divide ourselves. So, as for my own opinion, out of love and care for our ENPO brothers, I would not like further separation,” he said.
He then reasoned why the demand for Frontier Nagaland escalated saying that it escalated because of the non-fulfillment of the settlement and the solution. He also further agreed with Imkong L Imchen regarding the role of GK Pillai and claimed that Pillai did not want a ‘stronger Nagaland’.
Responding to non-development of ENPO, he said, “I am also from a backward district and a backward tribe. If development is not taking place in my district, can I blame the other legislators? Can I blame the state government? Or can I blame the Chief Minister? I am equally responsible. We have MLAs; we have Ministers, if they cannot treat us well, why should I blame others? We should also look into our own performances. So, as far as development is concerned, I will not blame anybody and everybody is equally responsible.”
Further, he said that he is not aware of the 300 crore that Sangtam claimed and said that if they were to be true, then the responsible person be held accountable.
“I hope he is not mistaken about the 365 crore that was given to the state in 2003-04 to wipe out the state deficit,” he said.
Hawang T Wangsha: All the blame should not go to the 20 MLAs
Former NSF President, Hawang T Wangsha said that the Government of Nagaland should mediate within the Government of India and ENPO.
Responding to a question about what the 20 MLAs have been doing for all those years, he said that they have failed their responsibility but insisted that all the blame should not go to them.
“Our people, most of the elected members – the capacity and the caliber (of the 20 MLAs) cannot reach the other standards because of all the educational backwardness,” he said.
“Most of the 20 MLAs are hand-picked,” he claimed.