India News | ENPO, MLAs of Eastern Nagaland Should Meet First: Along on Demand for Draft of Separate State

Kohima, Sep 23 (PTI) The Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) and the 20 MLAs of the region should hold discussions on their demand for the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT), state government spokesperson Temjen Imna Along said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme, Along said ENPO has been asking the state government to give the draft proposal on FNT, but the government has made it very clear that they should first have a proper sitting with the Eastern Nagaland Legislators' Union (ENLU).

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The state cabinet is optimistic about coming up with the draft proposal very soon, he said.

However, the ENLU and the ENPO should discuss what is possible and what is not, Along said, maintaining that the MLAs are the representatives of the people.

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The state cabinet trusts that the ENLU and ENPO leaders will first come into a proper understanding, he said.

The ENPO has been demanding a separate state, comprising six districts in the eastern part of the state, alleging that the region has been neglected for years. The seven tribes who live in this region did not participate in the Lok Sabha polls and the civic body elections.

Along was also asked about the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) opposing the state government's Political Affairs Committee's demand for the appointment of a new interlocutor for the talks.

He said, "The PAC has asked for a strong leader to be an interlocutor so as to provide a stronger platform for early resolution of the Naga Political Issue."

He asked the NNPGs not to make such comments even before the Centre has responded.

"We have to come to a common ground and talk with Delhi," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)