PM Modi hails Eastern Nagaland deal as ‘historic’, promises development and stability

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed the newly signed tripartite agreement on Eastern Nagaland “historic”, saying it would strengthen development and create fresh opportunities for people in the region.

The agreement, signed a day earlier by the Centre, the Nagaland government and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO), seeks to fast-track development while ensuring what the Prime Minister described as “peace, progress and inclusive growth” in the North East.

Calling it “a historic agreement indeed”, Modi said it would “enhance the development trajectory of Eastern Nagaland” and “open new avenues of opportunity and prosperity for the people”, underlining the government’s commitment to long-term stability in the region.

Signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, the pact lays the groundwork for the creation of the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA). The proposed authority will cover six eastern districts—Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator—and will be vested with powers over 46 subjects.

A key feature of the agreement is administrative decentralisation. It provides for a mini-secretariat for the FNTA, headed by senior state officials, and a mechanism for sharing development funds for Eastern Nagaland in proportion to population and geographical area. Officials stressed that the arrangement does not affect the special constitutional protections under Article 371(A).

Describing the day as “very significant for a dispute-free North East”, Shah said the agreement marked another step towards the Prime Minister’s vision of a region free from insurgency, violence and prolonged disputes. He noted that armed conflicts and unresolved issues had earlier pushed parts of the North East towards instability.

The Home Minister said the government was committed to resolving long-standing issues through dialogue, adding that since 2019, 12 major agreements had been signed in the region. Unlike in the past, he said, the current approach focused not just on signing accords but on implementing them “in letter and spirit”.

The Eastern Nagaland agreement is being seen as a structural shift in governance, with greater local authority expected to address long-standing demands for equitable development and administrative autonomy in the region.