Discontent in Naga Hills

New Delhi should take serious note of the reported decision of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) to boycott the ensuing Lok Sabha election, especially when the crucial Naga peace talks have remained stuck for quite a long time. According to media reports from Kohima, ENPO has been seeking a separate administration or state comprising six districts of eastern Nagaland, these being Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang. While these districts are inhabited by six tribes, namely Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Tikhir, Sangtam, and Yimkhiung, the ENPO’s contention is that these tribes have remained backward due to the sheer negligence of successive governments, be it in Kohima or in Delhi. ENPO has been claiming since 2010 that the solution lies only in the creation of a separate state. The ENPO had withdrawn a similar boycott during last year’s Nagaland Assembly election following an assurance from Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Following this, the Union Home Ministry last year constituted a three-member committee to look into the demand. The committee visited Nagaland several times and met leaders of all sides, but it is not known whether it had submitted its report or not. In March last year, state Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, in the course of his budget speech, reportedly stated that his government had even recommended the formation of an autonomous region comprising the eastern districts of the state. In November last year, it also recommended to the Centre a special economic package to resolve the demand for separate statehood by ENPO. According to the Nagaland government, the ENPO issue is not political in nature, but the state government has identified it as being more economic in nature as these districts have been lacking in various sectors, including infrastructure, education, health, and also the per capita income being lower than the rest of the state. The state government has reportedly proposed to the Centre an economic package for the ENPO area so that they can march and speed up to catch up with the rest of the state. The eastern districts of Nagaland, which share 215 km of international boundary with Myanmar, have been lagging behind in almost all sectors, including healthcare, road connectivity, education, drinking water, sanitation, and above all, livelihood opportunities. It is pertinent to note that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it mandatory for central ministers to visit the northeastern region on a regular basis and even spend more than a day there, it is difficult to find records of any central minister visiting the eastern districts of Nagaland. What the eastern districts of Nagaland probably need is a visit by the Prime Minister himself in order to break the stalemate and assure the people of the government’s sincerity towards solving their basic problems.