Kohima: Following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the Nagaland government has appealed to the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) to reconsider its demand for a separate state- Frontier Nagaland.
Minister of planning and coordination, land revenue, and parliamentary affairs, Neiba Kronu, told reporters that while the state government sympathises with the ENPO, the cabinet has decided to appeal to them to reconsider their demand in the greater interest of the Naga people.
“All have to come together for a solution. So we have to put all efforts to resolve the issue,” Kronu said.
He said that Union home minister Amit Shah will visit the state on January 6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to after January 10.
Shah, he said, would either visit Kohima or Dimapur and would meet with the ENPO. The discussion between Centre and ENPO will then have to be updated to the state government following which a decision on the matter would be taken, he informed.
NPF Legislature Party leader Kuzholuzo Nienu also said that the Naga political issue is a priority for the coalition government and so a decision was made to urge the Centre to expedite the matter at the earliest.
ENPO issue, he noted, is sensitive so a request is made to re-examine their demand for a separate state. He added that the cabinet has never recommended the creation of a separate state, and stands by its July 23, 2011 decision to stand by integration of all contiguous states.
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While the demand for development in Eastern Nagaland is genuine, he said that it should not divide the Nagas.
While the ENPO had earlier resolved to boycott the election if its demands are not met, Nienu said that if the Election Commission of India (ECI) announces the dates for the election, all political parties would be compelled to participate.
The state, he said, is ready, to begin the election campaign and political parties are mentally prepared for the conduct of the election.
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