Nagaland CM says Frontier Nagaland Territory Authority issue nearing resolution

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on August 29 said discussions regarding the demand for the Frontier Nagaland Territory Authority (FNTA) by residents of the six eastern districts are nearing conclusion.

The Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO), the apex body representing eight tribes across Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak, and Shamator districts, has been demanding a separate state since 2010, citing decades of neglect.

“For your information, we have almost resolved the FNTA issue,” Rio said while briefing the press on the state cabinet’s recent visit to New Delhi.

Responding to questions about why the cabinet returned without meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rio explained, “No, he sent his delegation—the Home Secretary, the 18 Director, and the Joint Secretary (Northeast). We had a long discussion, and I also had one-to-one meetings with them. Our mission is accomplished, and next time, I am asked to have another one-to-one meeting.”

Rio made the remarks on the sidelines of the launch of the book Oying Mots – The Story of Our Threads, a memoir by Abeni TCK.

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A tripartite meeting held in New Delhi on July 23 included officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Nagaland government, and ENPO representatives. Several contentious issues were reportedly resolved, leaving only a few matters for the Nagaland government to address.

On speculation that the final agreement on FNTA would be signed by October, Rio said, “We have already cleared our side, so it is up to them to arrange and then bring us the final draft.”

The ENPO had boycotted the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and refrained from participating in urban local body polls over its demand for a separate state. In April, the organisation agreed to the Centre’s proposal for limited autonomy under the FNTA framework, suspending its agitation for statehood.

The ENPO has stated that the FNTA arrangement will be subject to review after 10 years, with remaining issues addressed through democratic and political means. It has also insisted that no agreement will be signed without firm assurances on financial, legislative, and executive autonomy.