Frontier Nagaland Territory: ENPO submits stance to MHA

• DIMAPUR — In a significant development, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) on Tuesday announced that it has submitted its stance on the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) team.
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• In a press communiqué on, the ENPO stated that after comprehensive studies and contemplation on the offered ‘FNT’, the organisation has come out with its stance as “per the reality of time and along with people’s mandate.”
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• The stance submitted to the MHA will also be handed over to the state government at the earliest, it stated.
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• While holding on to its demand for a ‘separate statehood’, the ENPO stated that it has been compelled to temporarily narrow down its stance, considering the inability of the GoI, and to opt for the third option called ‘FNT”, an arrangement offered by the GoI.
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• However, this temporary FNT arrangement is subject to review after 10 years and all other unresolved matters will be taken up through democratic political process, it asserted.

Also read: ENPO president pushes for swift realisation of Frontier Nagaland Territory

• On the basic principle as envisaged in both the MoS draft of the MHA and the state government’s comments, the ENPO reiterated that FNT with executive, legislative and financial autonomy should not be infringed upon under the offered FNT, and that these principles should be delivered both in letter and spirit.
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• It also insisted that the parameters of the offered FNT should not be limited by any article of the Constitution of India or statutory laws.
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• “In accordance to the agreed position, ‘Legislative, Executive and Financial autonomy within Nagaland State’ as envisaged in the basic principle, all existing subjects in the State shall co-exist in FNTA.
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• “This stance is being articulated in order to avoid any infringement or complication when/if limited subjects are to be transferred. Therefore, ENPO shall prepare the list of some major subjects which should be placed under ‘Share Autonomy category list’”, it stated.
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• Key highlights of ENPO stance
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• •   Permanent High Court in the State and a permanent High Court bench in the FNT.
• •   Enhancement of the State Non-plan allocation from the Consolidated Fund of India, to rescue the State Government from the huge deficits that restricts the progress of the State.
• •   GoI to empower the State Government to pass enabling laws under Art 371A.
• •   ENPO to demand for additional Parliamentary seats in both the houses in the upcoming delimitation exercise.
• •   Considering the State under three tribal blocks ie.Tenyimi, Central Nagas and Eastern blocks, thus  in the event of having two deputy CMs, one  post each should be shared between the two non-CM blocks.
• •   The ENPO has included certain sections for the State Government to partner with the ENPO on certain priority areas for development of eastern Nagaland.
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• The ENPO also maintained that Art. 371A should be reviewed/modified and suitably amended in order to incorporate the provision relating to the FNT.
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• The ENPO proposed for a conventional power sharing mechanism without infringing the basic principles where both the FNLA and ENLU members can work together under decentralised planning and execution system.
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• Upgrade and modernisation of the Village Guard organisation and enhancement of their salary/honorarium still holds very important part in the deal, it stated.
  
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• Further, the ENPO stated that with the establishment of FNT there shall be a Joint Monitoring Committee comprising of the representative from the MHA, State Government, FNTA and the ENPO.
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• The ENPO appealed to the chief minister of Nagaland to uphold his earlier political statement where he had categorically stated that, “the State Govt. will give full cooperation for the development of ENPO Areas and whatever decision on FNT the GoI takes, we will be a partner and see that they catch up with the rest of the state and the country”.