No headway on separate State demand in Nagaland even after Amit Shah's visit

KOHIMA: With the Nagaland Assembly polls knocking at the door and all political parties and civil society organizations keen to solve the Naga political issue before the election, the influential Eastern Nagaland People's Organization (ENPO) has remained firm on a poll boycott if their demand for a separate State is not met.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's Nagaland visit on Friday could not melt the ice on two vital issues.

Activists of the Nagaland People's Action Committee (NPAC) and civil society organizations displaying placards and banners outside Dimapur airport greeted Shah as he arrived from Imphal on Friday by a chartered plane on his one-day visit to the Northeastern State.

Demanding a solution to the long-pending Naga political issue, some of the placards read 'Ink solution or call off'; 'Amit Shahji, you have the power to deliver a solution'; 'Settlement, now or never'; 'Enough of talk and tall promises, Nagas want action'; and 'Give us solution, not election'.

The police confronted the volunteers and took away the banners and placards while the activists held the rally peacefully to press for their demand.

Former Odisha Governor and ex-Nagaland Chief Minister SC Jamir was among those who met Shah at Niathu Resort in Dimapur.

During his over half-an-hour discussion with Shah, Jamir reportedly told him that Nagas were crying for an early solution to the political issue and that the Central Government cannot afford to ignore it.

Jamir told Shah that since the Naga stakeholders have signed their respective agreements after 25 years of negotiations, it is high time that the Central Government came out with the much-expected solution.

Jamir reminded Shah that since Naga political sovereignty and integration were not under negotiation and that as the Centre has rejected outright the demand to include a Naga flag and constitution as part of the solution, a solution was the only outcome.

Jamir said that if there is a delay due to the separate flag and constitution issues, then the Government should ask the NSCN (I-M) if it is sincere about a peaceful solution and to give a time frame to end the stalemate.

In another development, despite the Nagaland Government's repeated appeals, the ENPO remained firm to boycott the Assembly elections, expected to be held in February.

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Government last week once again asked the ENPO to reconsider their demand for a separate State and not to boycott the forthcoming Assembly elections.

The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) led UDA is India's first all-party and Opposition-less Government. The BJP is also an ally of the UDA. Parliamentary Affairs, Planning and Coordination Minister Neiba Kronu said that the State Cabinet, in its meeting on January 3, resolved that the Government would appeal to the ENPO to reconsider their demand for a separate state of 'Frontier Nagaland' and not to boycott the Assembly elections.

The Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the State in the second week of January.

"After the visit of the Prime Minister and Home Minister (who already visited on Friday) some decision on the demand would be taken", Neiba Kronu said.

Talking to IANS over the phone, ENPO secretary W Manwang Konyak said that they are firm on boycotting the Assembly polls if their demand is not met before the elections.

To a question about the Nagaland Government's appeal, the ENPO leader said: "We are waiting for the response from the Central Government. The Union Home Minister will again come to Tuensang in Nagaland at the end of this month and is expected to visit our region to discuss the separate State demand".

The ENPO along with its associate organizations would soon meet to discuss the future course of action.

"Boycott of the elections and other course of action would depend on the response of the Central Government", the Naga leader said. Claiming that the six districts — Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator — have been neglected for years, the ENPO has been demanding a separate state since 2010. Meanwhile, the Nagaland Congress has asked all the 60 MLAs of the State to resign in support of the demand for a solution to the Naga political issue. (IANS)

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