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Demand for Frontier Nagaland state may result in loss of Article 371(A): Nagaland Congress President

Demand for Frontier Nagaland state may result in loss of Article 371(A): Nagaland Congress President

For the unversed, Article 371(A) of the Constitution, enacted in 1963, confers special provisions on Nagaland. Raising concerns on the recent decision of the Union Home Ministry summoning ENPO to discuss the demand for Frontier Nagaland state, Congress president K Therie said that this will perhaps lead to loss of Article 371(A) in the way Jammu and Kashmir lost Article 370. 

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ENPO demands for Frontier Nagaland state ENPO demands for Frontier Nagaland state

Raising concerns on the recent decision of the Union Home Ministry summoning ENPO to discuss the demand for Frontier Nagaland state, Congress president K Therie said that this will perhaps lead to loss of Article 371(A) in the way Jammu and Kashmir lost Article 370. 

"UHM summoning Eastern Nagaland People's Organization (ENPO) to discuss the demand for Frontier Nagaland State on October 18, 2022, is a serious concern for Congress and perhaps for all those who love Nagaland. The subject is to divide Nagaland state and may even result in the loss of Art.371(A) in the way J&K lost Art. 370. UHM may also promise in the manner he has done to insurgent Kukis, for votes," K Therie said. 

For the unversed, Article 371(A) of the Constitution, enacted in 1963, confers special provisions on Nagaland, with clause (a) reading:

“No Act of Parliament in respect of (i) religious or social practices of the Nagas, (ii) Naga customary law and procedure, (iii) administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, (iv) ownership and transfer of land and its resources, shall apply to the State of Nagaland unless the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland by a resolution so decides”.

Slamming the government for going against the integration of the state, K Therie further stated, "It was the design of Government of India (GOI) to counter the demand for integration fuelled by the BJP and alliance (NPF) Govt.’s negligence, suppression, injustice, and inequality in development activities and job distribution."

Appealing to the government as well as the ENPO to rethink the demand and instead focus on developmental activities, K Therie, said, "Congress has appealed to rethink the demand. We have assured to relocate DUDA and committed a Mini-Secretariat at Tuensang."

"The objective is to enable planning, supervision, and disbursement of payments there itself. This was rejected by the mandate. However, we still feel there is a need to pay special attention to matters of road connectivity and other basic infrastructures. Rs 300 crore vanished into thin air. Other funds are drawn with no significant works seen on the ground for the last 20 years," remarked K Therie.

"If the government is bad, legislators from ENPO have their fair share of bad experiences, for all 20 MLAs are in the ruling Government, and the majority party is headed by none other than veteran leader Shri Chingwang Konyak as Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) President who also continues to enjoy Cabinet status," remarked Therie. 

"Congress demands United Democratic Alliance (UDA) make its stand clear to the people and Government of India on the demand for Frontier Nagaland State," concluded Therie.

Edited By: Nandita Borah
Published On: Sep 29, 2022