Mokokchung, September 29 (MTNews): Nagaland Congress has expressed concern for ‘disintegration of Nagaland’ as union home minister Amit Shah has reportedly summoned the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organization (ENPO) to discuss its Frontier Nagaland state demand.
In a press release received here on Thursday, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president K. Therie said, “The union home minister summoning the ENPO to discuss the demand for Frontier Nagaland state on October 18, 2022, is a serious concern for the Congress and perhaps for all those who love Nagaland.”
Therie said that the subject is to divide Nagaland state which may even result in the loss of Article 371(A) for the state in the way Jammu and Kashmir lost Article 370.
The Nagaland Congress president added that the union home minister may also make a promise in the manner he has done with the “insurgent Kukis” for votes.
Therie alleged that it was the design of the government of India to counter the demand for Naga integration, “fueled by the BJP and alliance (NPF) government’s negligence, suppression, injustice and inequality in development activities and job distribution.”
Stating that the Congress had appealed to rethink on the demand (for Frontier Nagaland), Therie said that his party assured to relocate the Department of Underdeveloped Areas (DUDA) and committed a mini-secretariat in Tuensang. He said the objective was to enable planning, supervision and disbursement of payments “there itself.”
He lamented that this proposal was rejected by the (poll) mandate but added that the Congress still feel there is a need to pay special attention to eastern Nagaland in matters of road connectivity and other basic infrastructures.
Therie alleged that Rs 300 crore meant for eastern Nagaland vanished into thin air, and that other funds are drawn with no significant works seen on the ground for the last 20 years.
He also held the legislators from the region responsible. He said, “If the government is bad, legislators from ENPO have their share of bad, for all 20 MLAs are in the ruling Government and the majority party is headed by none other than veteran leader Chingwang Konyak as NDPP President who also continues to enjoy Cabinet status.”
Nagaland Congress also demanded the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government in the state to make its stand clear to the people and the government of India on the demand for Frontier Nagaland state.
On August 26, the ENPO resolved to abstain from participating in any state or central election process till its demand for separate “Frontier Nagaland” state is met.