The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO), Eastern Nagaland Women Organization (ENWO), and Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) team visited Tuensang village and held a joint meeting with the village citizens on April 12, informed a press release. The meeting was attended by village elders from Lomou, Kangshou, Pilashi and Chongpho Khels, where the visiting team conveyed the villagers on the Eastern Nagaland public’s decision to refrain from participating in any central and state elections against the failure to settle FNT prior to the announcement of MCC to the Lok Sabha election 2024.
During the meeting, the Tuensang village citizens pledged their full cooperation to this stance. Further, N. Kaimang Chang, the President of Citizen Union and former President of CKS, a signatory of the ENPO statehood demand memorandum, proposed that individuals from Eastern Nagaland who do not adhere to the public movement should face ex-communication.
Further, the press release also informed that the Sumi Youth Organization (SYO) embarked on a meaningful solidarity visit to the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO), Eastern Nagaland Women Organization (ENWO), and Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF), convening a solidarity meet at the CKS Hall in Tuensang Headquarter on April 13. The delegation, comprising ten dedicated members of the SYO, was led by its President, Hikavi H Kinimi, Vice President Hukaito Zhimomi, and General Secretary Bokalu V Jimo. In a poignant display of appreciation for the unity, resilience, and statesmanship exhibited by the people of Eastern Nagaland, the SYO President emphasized the purely supportive nature of their visit, devoid of any intention to influence electoral decisions, i.e., “to vote or not to vote is your choice, and they are not here to comment on voting or not voting”.
Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play
He reiterated the SYO’s unwavering commitment to standing by the people of Eastern Nagaland during their trials and tribulations, while also urging for continued unity in pursuit of the broader Naga cause. “We want to see the spirit of the same unity when there is a clarion call for the Naga cause in general,” added the President. The ENPO President, General Secretary, ENWO and ENSF President also spoke in the meet and highlighted the stance of the Eastern Nagaland people of why they took a decision not to participate in the election. While appreciating the SYO, the ENPO remarked their gesture as a great moment at such a time of struggle and pain.
“Your gesture of visiting us will be written in gold letter, which will go down in the history of Eastern Nagaland for ages to come,” said ENPO. The ENPO also informed them about the clarity of both the Government of India and ENPO that granting of FNT will have no impact upon Naga political issue, no infringement upon article 371A of the constitution of India and that the arrangement will be within the state of Nagaland, and not beyond, and that, the FNT is not the demand of ENPO but the offer made by the Government of India through the Ministry of Home Affairs.
With regard to the statement of Nagaland Home Minister, who said, initially ENPO never consulted State Government, the ENPO clarified that after the submission of memorandum on 25th November, 2010, the ENPO came back and had submitted a copy of the memorandum to the State Government. Because of which, the State Government constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee on ENPO demand and subsequently recommended creation of Autonomous Council, which was rejected by the people of Eastern Nagaland.
ENPO further clarified that officially they had 4 rounds of bilateral talks with the GoI and 2 rounds of tripartite talks, i.e., GoI, GoN and ENPO and was concluded in the year 2018. As such, there is no question of not consulting the State Government, and the State Government not aware of the talks if at all State Government does not undermine about the protocol services of the state bureaucrats who participated in the trilateral meetings, informed the press release.
