1. The present area of Eastern Nagaland region under the aegis of Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) was historically and geographically never under any foreign rule before the Indian Independence and was an ‘excluded and un-administered’ area. The region was unconquered and unoccupied even during the British rule. Whereas, Naga Hills which is inhabited by other advance tribes in the south-western part of Nagaland was a district of Assam under the British Raj since 1866 while some are was part of the princely State of Manipur until recently.
2. It was only in February 1948, the Eastern Nagaland region inhabited by the tribes of Chang, Phom, Sangtam, Konyak, Khiamniungan, Yimkhiung and Tikhir tribes came into the map of India as a division under North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) known as Tuensang Frontier Division and kept under the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Today, the Eastern Nagaland Area covers the following districts viz. Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Tuensang, Shamator and Noklak with an area of about 8,154 Sq. Km out of the total area of 16,579 Sq. km. of the State of Nagaland.
3. In 1957, the Tuensang Frontier Division of North East Frontier Agency and the Naga Hills District of Assam were amalgamated into one administrative unit known as Naga Hills Tuensang Area (NHTA) and during this period, a few schools and Primary Health Centres were built in the Eastern Nagaland Region along with a couple of roads which were mostly kutcha road in nature.
4. By Nagaland Statehood Act No. 27 of 4th September 1962, Nagaland as a State under the Union of India was declared on 1st December 1963 and thus the Eastern Nagaland region (Tuensang Frontier Division of NEFA) and Naga Hills District of Assam amalgamated together to form a full- fledged State. But, Tuensang District, which is now known as the Eastern Nagaland region was awarded a status of a Regional Council under Article 371 ( A ) of the Indian Constitution which kept it  under the Special Provision for a period of ten years from 1963 to 1973, consisting of 35  Regional  Council  members  and the Deputy Commissioner, the de-facto  Chairman  of  the  Council  was  none  other  than the Deputy Commissioner of Tuensang who was directly under the control of the Nagaland Commissioner and also the Chief Minister of Nagaland.
5. i) Although, the Eastern Nagaland area had 48% of the total population of the state of Nagaland, only 6 MLAs got to represent this region and the Naga Hills Area was represented by 40 members in the Nagaland Assembly at the time when Nagaland State was created. So, Eastern Nagaland people had voiced their grievance of under representation in the State Assembly. Then the Assembly seats were increased to 12 MLAs for Tuensang District in 1968 and in completing the 10 years of Special Provision period, the Eastern Nagaland Region was allocated only 20 seats, whereas this area should have got at least 40 Assembly seats, thereby depriving the Eastern Nagaland people to this date and under-represented in the Nagaland State Assembly.
   ii) Under the Constitution of India, Art. 371 (A) Clause 2(B) clearly states that “where any money provided by the Central Government to the Nagaland Government as a whole, Governor of Nagaland shall arrange for an equitable allocation of the money between Tuensang district (Eastern Nagaland Region) and the rest of the State”. However, this has never happened/implemented since most of our representatives were innocent and ignorant and on the other hand the Governor of Nagaland did not discharge his constitutional obligation, as enshrined in the Constitution, to assist the region in full measure to the best of his ability.
6. The people of Eastern Nagaland Region have felt deeply about this step-motherly treatment which is still continued by the present State Government. As the Eastern Nagaland region is situated in an extremely strategic location, this should have been a good enough reason for speedy all-round development. However, it’s been 59 years and yet no tangible development has taken place and the Eastern Nagaland people feel that the time has finally come for this region to be fully separated and the entire affairs of the administration should be handled exclusively by local people who are now ready and capable to manage their own affairs.The promise to the people of Eastern Nagaland by the rest of Nagaland for a better life now and an even brighter future is at the crossroads of stark poverty, deeper hardship, hopelessness, and despair for the upcoming younger generation. How much longer would the Eastern Nagaland people have to bear the brunt of the entire ever-increasing State debt burden and resource deficit in the backdrop of the generous and increasing Central funding releases to the State along with multiple allegations, now in the public domain, of rampant corruption cases and gross instances of mis-governances?
7. Today, the Eastern Nagaland regions per capita income stands around INR 5,000/- approximately, whereas the rest of Nagaland state stands at INR 16,000/-.
8. As per the statistics for employment of Eastern Nagaland people stands at 18% including merits while the rest of Nagaland has 82% in the state even after the implementation of Reservation Policy. The Village Council in the entire Eastern Nagaland region undertook to minutely collect all the persons employed under Nagaland Government service which are recorded, checked, verified, and certified by the respective Councils, and the entire statistics were presented to the officials of Home Ministry, Government of India.
9. Analysis of Comparative Developmental study disparities of Eastern Nagaland vis-a-vis the rest of the State:

1. The pitiable part of this is that the Eastern Nagaland region has been left out of the first four National Five-Year Plan programme which takes up several key infrastructure development projects in India starting back in 1951. It was only towards the end of the fifth Five Year Plan that Eastern Nagaland area got a chance to take part in the National development programmes to move ahead with times, where good road connectivity is of paramount importance however, till date there is not a single road in the Eastern Nagaland area which can be called an all-weather road.It must be reiterated that this region is very rich in natural resources and there are 3 designated International Trade Centres declared along the international boundary with Myanmar to promote trade and commerce towards ASEAN countries. In addition the entire eastern region of Nagaland is very picturesque and beautiful, which has tremendous potential for the promotion of tourism.
2. The tragedy is owing to poverty and unemployment problem, a huge number of boys and girls from the Eastern Nagaland region are migrating to more developed towns like Kohima, Dimapur & Mokokchung which are the advanced areas of the Nagaland State. These youths leave their homes to earn a mere two square meals or simply to receive basic primary education and in return work as domestic helps and many of them work without salary. Today, around 15,000 to 20,000 young people are compelled to leave their homes for better opportunity and often these youngsters fall prey to human rights violation amounting to abuse etc.
3. Owing to the backwardness and seriousness of the situation prevalent in the Eastern Nagaland region on 16th and 19th March 2012, the Nagaland State Legislative Assembly had summoned for a debate on the demand for a separate state to the Eastern Nagaland area. At the end of the session the House resolved and passed a resolution for the creation of the then 4 Autonomous District Councils. However, this demand was rejected by the ENPO outrightly. Thereafter, the ENPO delegation met the then Home Minister of India, Shri P. Chidambaram on 6th December 2010 and a friendly suggestion was forwarded by him to accept an improvised version of the Regional Council status for the Eastern Nagaland People. The ENPO delegation politely declined the offer and explained it to the Honourable Home Minister of India at that time a similar status had been earlier experimented in the region by an Act of the Indian Parliament which failed to meet the aspirations of the Eastern Nagaland people. Therefore, every village council in the Eastern Nagaland region has resolved and with 100% mandate to press the demand for a full- fledged Frontier Nagaland State, leading to the formation of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) democratically, to spearhead this cause.

A memorandum was submitted to the Prime Minister of India for demand of FRONTIER NAGALAND STATE by the ENPO on 25th November 2010 at New Delhi.

The ENPO which is a grassroot Organization of Eastern Nagaland region are highly hopeful that the present Government at the Centre, led by Shri Narendra Modiji, would be sympathetic to the Eastern Nagaland peoples’ demand for the Frontier Nagaland State and fulfil their desire and aspiration with the following features:

1. A separate State Assembly
2. A Capital
3. Direct funding for the development of the Eastern Nagaland region from the Central Government
4. A separate High Court
5. A separate Governor
6. Since erstwhile Tuensang area, which is now referred as Eastern Nagaland region needed special protection to preserve and respect the:

(i) Religious or social practices of the Nagas,

(ii) The customary laws and procedures,

(iii) Administration of civil and criminal justice involving decision according to Naga customary law,

(iv) Ownership and transfer of land and its resources which was considered very important by the Government of India particularly for this backward Eastern Nagaland region and so the Parliament of India has agreed to provide this Special Provision in the Constitution of India. Because the people living in Tuensang Frontier Division or District, now known as Eastern Nagaland, has very rich customs and traditions which have been practised since time immemorial and during the British rule in India the tribes viz., Konyak, Phom, Sangtam, Chang, Yimkhiung Tikhirs and Khiamniungans were excluded and un- administered.

In order to protect them from exploitation from outsiders a law was brought about, and it was known as the Bengal Eastern Regulation Act of 1873 which prevented outsiders from entering this region without valid documents or Inner Line Permit. During the debate in the Parliament House, the then Prime Minister of India made a categorical statement for giving protection to the Tuensang people (Eastern Nagaland People) at the introduction of Thirteenth Amendment Bill and State of Nagaland Bill in 1962 which was adopted and enacted under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution of India to specially safeguard the backward tribes from exploitation. Therefore, this Act of Parliament is immutable, and it must be extended in the Eastern Nagaland Area.

1. In return, the Eastern Nagaland people would handle the development and security of the region locally which has not been seriously addressed from Kohima till date.
2. People of this border area would be brought to the main stream of the Indian nation.
3. All those personnel who have joined various groups and factions would be asked to join and take up a new life to move forward and be part of development of this region of India.
4. The entire Eastern Nagaland Region is very rich in Natural Resources and 3 International Trade Centres are located in the region which would be a trade and commerce launching pad to the ASEAN countries. Besides, Eastern Nagaland region is very rich in art and culture with a huge talent in handiworks and this part of the country could create a hub for building an economic powerhouse of the North East of India.

(In the Service of Eastern Nagaland)

Eastern Naga Students’ Federation