Why Frontier Nagaland?
The present area of Eastern Nagaland region under the aegis of Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) was historically and geographically never under any foreign rule before the Indian Independence and was an ‘excluded and un-administered’ area. The region was unconquered and unoccupied even during the British rule. Whereas, Naga Hills which is inhabited by other advance tribes in the south-western part of Nagaland was a district of Assam under the British Raj since 1866 while some are was part of the princely State of Manipur until recently.
It was only in February 1948, the Eastern Nagaland region inhabited by the tribes of Chang, Phom, Sangtam, Konyak, Khiamniungan, Yimkhiung and Tikhir tribes came into the map of India as a division under North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) known as Tuensang Frontier Division. Today, the Eastern Nagaland Area covers the following districts viz. Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Tuensang, Shamator and Noklak with an area of about 8,154 Sq. Km out of the total area of 16,579 Sq. km. of the State of Nagaland.
In 1957, the Tuensang Frontier Division of North East Frontier Agency and the Naga Hills District of Assam were amalgamated into one administrative unit known as Naga Hills Tuensang Area (NHTA).
By Nagaland Statehood Act No. 27 of 4th September 1962, Nagaland as a State under the Union of India was declared on 1st December 1963 and thus the Eastern Nagaland region (Tuensang Frontier Division of NEFA) and Naga Hills District of Assam amalgamated together to form a full- fledged State. But, Tuensang District, which is now known as the Eastern Nagaland region was awarded a status of a Regional Council under Article 371 ( A ) of the Indian Constitution which kept it under the Special Provision for a period of ten years from 1963 to 1973.
Although, the Eastern Nagaland area had 48% of the total population of the state of Nagaland, only 6 MLAs got to represent this region and the Naga Hills Area was represented by 40 members in the Nagaland Assembly at the time when Nagaland State was created. So, Eastern Nagaland people had voiced their grievance of under representation in the State Assembly. Then the Assembly seats were increased to 12 MLAs for Tuensang District in 1968 and in completing the 10 years of Special Provision period, the Eastern Nagaland Region was allocated only 20 seats, whereas this area should have got at least 40 Assembly seats, thereby depriving the Eastern Nagaland people to this date and under-represented in the Nagaland State Assembly.
Under the Constitution of India, Art. 371 (A) Clause 2(B) clearly states that “where any money provided by the Central Government to the Nagaland Government as a whole, Governor of Nagaland shall arrange for an equitable allocation of the money between Tuensang district (Eastern Nagaland Region) and the rest of the State”. However, this has never happened/implemented since most of our representatives were innocent and ignorant and on the other hand the Governor of Nagaland did not discharge his constitutional obligation, as enshrined in the Constitution, to assist the region in full measure to the best of his ability.
The people of Eastern Nagaland Region have felt deeply about this step-motherly treatment which is still continued by the present State Government. It’s been 59 years and yet no tangible development has taken place and the Eastern Nagaland people feel that the time has finally come for this region to be fully separated and the entire affairs of the administration should be handled exclusively by local people who are now ready and capable to manage their own affairs.
As per the statistics for employment of Eastern Nagaland people stands at 18% including merits while the rest of Nagaland has 82% in the state even after the implementation of Reservation Policy.
In 2012, the Nagaland State Legislative Assembly had summoned for a debate on the demand for a separate state to the EN area. At the end of the session the House resolved and passed a resolution for the creation of the then 4 Autonomous District Councils. However, this demand was rejected by the ENPO outrightly. Thereafter, the ENPO delegation met the then Home Minister of India, Shri P. Chidambaram on 6th December 2010 and a friendly suggestion was forwarded by him to accept an improvised version of the Regional Council status for the Eastern Nagaland People. The ENPO delegation politely declined the offer and explained it to the Honourable Home Minister of India at that time a similar status had been earlier experimented in the region by an Act of the Indian Parliament which failed to meet the aspirations of the Eastern Nagaland people. Therefore, every village council in the Eastern Nagaland region has resolved and with 100% mandate to press the demand for a full-fledged Frontier Nagaland State, leading to the formation of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) democratically, to spearhead this cause.
ENSF