Nagaland: ENPO to boycott central and state polls over delay in 'Frontier Nagaland Territory' decision

The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) has declared its stance of abstaining from participation in both Central and State elections until the long-awaited decision on the creation of the ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’ (FNT) is settled by the Indian government.

The resolution was solidified during a collaborative meeting held on February 23, 2024, at Chenmoho Village, Mon district, where ENPO, along with federating tribal bodies, frontal organizations, talk team members, and senior leaders, unanimously agreed not to engage in electoral processes amid the delay in resolving the FNT issue.

ENPO’s decision comes as a culmination of mass public demonstrations across all seven districts and ADC headquarters within Eastern Nagaland on February 9. Thousands of individuals participated in these rallies, demanding the establishment of FNT and the expeditious signing of the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS).

Expressing their steadfastness, ENPO emphasized that they would not yield to any assurances made by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) post the upcoming Parliamentary elections. They underlined their commitment to pursuing their own course of action should the aspirations of Eastern Nagaland's people continue to be disregarded.

Following the demonstrations, tribal bodies presented a memorandum to the Nagaland governor, reiterating their resolve to pursue alternative actions if the sentiments of Eastern Nagaland's populace were not duly acknowledged. They emphasized that the region would not be accountable for any potential disruptions if the Election Commission of India declared the model code of conduct without the MoS being signed.

The memorandum called upon the governor to promptly convey the sentiments to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Members of ENPO expressed their dismay during a media briefing on February 15, highlighting the repeated assurances from the Union Home Minister, which had not materialized into the final draft of the FNT.

ENPO underscored that the absence of the draft was the primary catalyst for the recent rallies, urging the Ministry of Home Affairs to furnish the document prior to the enforcement of the Lok Sabha election model code of conduct.

Recalling their previous stance ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, ENPO reiterated its call for non-participation in any State and Central electoral processes until their demand for a separate state, “Frontier Nagaland,” is fulfilled.