KG Kenye calls for patience over business shutdown, clarifies Job Policy review and ENPO issue

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• KG Kenye (EM Images)

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• KOHIMA — Minister for Power and Parliamentary Affairs, KG Kenye, has appealed for patience, maturity, and restraint in light of the indefinite voluntary business shutdown announced by the Confederation of Nagaland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CNCCI). The shutdown, affecting nine districts, is scheduled to begin on May 19.
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• Addressing journalists after a state Cabinet meeting in Kohima on Wednesday, Kenye acknowledged the legitimacy of the concerns raised by the business community but urged that such issues be handled constructively. “I wish we do not take it to the street,” he said.
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• The minister expressed optimism that the departments concerned are already working on identifying towns and chambers to function as municipal offices, a key demand driving the shutdown.

Also read: Indefinite business shutdown in 9 Nagaland districts from May 19

• Kenye noted that with the scrapping of the national Municipal Act and the introduction of Nagaland’s own Municipal Act, the state is encountering new administrative challenges.
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• “The Act we have now is only a skeleton,” he said, reiterating that the legislation enacted by the Nagaland Legislative Assembly still needs significant development.
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• However, he emphasised that Nagaland holds a unique advantage under Article 371A of the Constitution, which allows the state to amend its municipal law as needed. “No other state in the country enjoys this flexibility,” he stated.
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• Job Reservation Policy: review after census
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• On the contentious issue of job reservation, Kenye addressed the concerns raised by the Five Tribes Committee, which includes the apex bodies of the Angami, Ao, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi tribes. The committee had earlier submitted a memorandum and issued a 30-day ultimatum to the state government, seeking a review of the current reservation policy.
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• Kenye clarified that the government cannot proceed without reliable demographic data. “We need a proper basis, and that basis comes from the Census,” he said.

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• He explained that the decadal 2021 Census has been delayed due to legal disputes, including challenges from tribal organisations over whether the state should use data from 2001 or 2011.
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• “These matters even reached the Supreme Court,” he noted, adding that until the new Census is completed, any meaningful review of reservation policy would be premature.
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• He appealed to tribal leaders and citizens to bear with the government, underscoring that the Census is a central subject, beyond the state’s direct control.
  
  
• ENPO and Frontier Nagaland issues
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• Kenye also spoke on the ongoing issue of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) and their demand for a separate Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT).
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• He reminded that the state government has already submitted its comments on the proposed Memorandum of Settlement to the Centre and that it is now up to the Union Government to take a final call.
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• Welcoming ENPO’s recent openness to negotiations, he said both parties should present a unified stand to the Centre to avoid confusion and to strengthen the process. “There should be full cohesion between ENPO and the state government,” he said.
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• Also, Kenye dismissed recent remarks made by a former Army General of Bangladesh, who made provocative statements regarding India’s military stance. Calling the remarks “humorous,” Kenye recalled the role of Northeastern police forces during the 1971 Bangladesh war, crediting them with helping break through Pakistani defences and supporting India’s military advance.
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• He asserted that India has “more than enough” military strength and warned that Bangladesh should be cautious with its rhetoric. “We are fully behind our armed forces and our leadership, who are doing everything to safeguard our territory and our people,” he said.
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• Kenye assured the government’s continued support and prayers for the nation's leadership and armed forces, reiterating that Nagaland stands firmly with the country in protecting its sovereignty.