Kohima: The three-member Committee of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) arrived at Tuensang, the district headquarters in Nagaland and held meetings with various sections of the eastern Nagaland Naga communities.
According to official sources the Committee was led by MHA Adviser (for Northeast) A K Mishra, with Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Dr Mandeep Singh Tuli and Director of the Northeast division of MHA A K Dhaniya is also said to have stated that the Home Minister assured to solve the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) demand in time-bound manner.
During the meetings, the Committee had stated that it has acknowledged, understand and analyse the demand for Frontier Nagaland rose by the ENPO and stated that the Government of India is taking the demand seriously and as such, the situation would be assessed and forwarded to the MHA and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Sources said that the ENPO leaders told the MHA Committee that ‘Frontier Nagaland’ is being pursued basing on a people’s referendum from the grassroots and its talk team are also said to have highlighted ‘overall discrimination faced by the people of Eastern Nagaland’ and reaffirmed that it would stick to the resolution that was recently adopted, if its ‘demand for Frontier Nagaland is not address appropriately and satisfactorily.’ The resolutions were refer to the August 26 and October 14, 2022 resolutions which pertain to boycott of Parliamentary elections as well as the State Assembly elections.
The meetings on Saturday were held with leaders of the tribal bodies representing the Chang, Konyak, Khiamniungan, Phom, Sangtam, Yimkhiung, and Tikhir communities, the Eastern Nagaland Women Organisation (ENWO) and Eastern Nagaland Students’ Federation (ENSF), along with a joint meeting with the Gaon Burhas, Dobashis and senior citizens and the district administration of the seven districts that make up the ENPO areas.
Earlier during the day, the MHA team visited the International Trade Centre, Dan, Pangsha in Noklak district yesterday and interacted with the villagers. During the three-day visit, the Central team heard the views shared by the organizations and also took note of the issues raised by them during the meetings held in Tuensang before leaving for Kohima on Sunday.
The Central team will return to Delhi on Tuesday and submit its report to the government, after which Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to visit Eastern Nagaland in January next year, sources said.
