Nagaland: ENPO demands resignation of 20 MLAs if no response from Centre on statehood demand

Taking the agitation for separate statehood for the people of eastern Nagaland to the next level, the Central Executive Council (CEC), Eastern Nagaland People's Organization (ENPO) has demanded the resignation of 20 legislators of Eastern Nagaland from the state Legislative Assembly if not an early resolution is provided from the government of India on its "Frontier Nagaland" demand.

This comes after a comprehensive meeting held at Chang Khulei Setshand Hall, Tuensang on October 14 while reaffirming to the August 26, 2022 resolution- such as not participating in any electoral process held by the Centre or the state government.

Notably earlier, after the Eastern Naga Peoples Organisation’s (ENPO) decision demanding ‘Frontier Nagaland’ gained momentum in the past few weeks, the Phom People’s Council has reaffirmed its decision to abstain from the upcoming 2023 Nagaland state general election and to abstain from any election process of the state and central in support of the August 26 ENPO Resolution for separate statehood “Frontier Nagaland.”

The Phom People’s Council decided to abstain from all election activities and stand by the ENPO resolution in a collective decision taken on September 21, 2022, during the joint meeting of all the Village Council Chairman and Members, Head GBs, and Citizen President of all the villages under Longleng district.

Further 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.