Senior ENPO Members to Meet Representatives of GOI in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: The leaders of the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation had reportedly left for Guwahati to meet the representatives of the Indian Government a few days back with the aim of carrying out the discussions regarding the formation of a new state.

Although no specific information has been released by the authorities, these leaders were expected to meet the representatives on Thursday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a special committee to look into the matter of the creation of a separate 'Frontier Nagaland'. This team is looking into the need and feasibility of such a demand in the state.

Although the demand for the bifurcation of Nagaland is not a new one, it picked up pace towards the second half of last year. Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation, the umbrella organisation for the tribes who wanted separation from Nagaland.

With the upcoming elections in mind, the organisation went ahead with their demands and threatened to boycott the upcoming elections. They also asked all the political representatives from those regions to resign if their demands are not met. Nagaland goes to legislative elections early this year.

After the member tribes announced that they will not participate in the annual Hornbill Festival of the state towards the same end, the Home Minister of India invited the leaders of ENPO over for a meeting in New Delhi. And this led to the formation of a high-level committee to deal with the statehood demand. This committee met with several key members of these tribes to solve the possible deadlock situation regarding Frontier Nagaland.

Several organisations including the state government and central government had asked them to reconsider their demands for a separate state. But it was declined and the group went ahead saying that they will boycott the assembly elections coming up in Nagaland. Till now no concrete resolution of the matter has been reached.

Also Read: Nagaland Government to urge ENPO to reconsider separate state demand, poll boycott

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