ENPO defers July 10 rally after Nagaland announces special Assembly session on FNTA

KOHIMA, July 8: The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) on Wednesday deferred its proposed July 10 public rally and shutdown across the six eastern districts after the Nagaland government announced a special session of the Assembly to take up the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNTA) issue.

In a statement, the apex body said it decided to put the agitation on hold following appeals from the state government, Rajya Sabha MP S. Phangnon Konyak and the ENLU convenor. It also welcomed the government’s July 6 announcement to convene a special Assembly session on the long-pending FNTA demand.

The July 10 rally was called to press for the creation of the Frontier Nagaland Territory, with ENPO alleging delays in implementing commitments relating to political and administrative autonomy, development and constitutional safeguards for the six eastern districts—Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator.

The state government has been urging ENPO to withdraw the agitation, saying the proposed legislation would serve as an interim mechanism to provide greater administrative, financial and developmental autonomy to Eastern Nagaland while talks with the Centre on the broader political demand continue.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and senior cabinet colleagues had argued that a shutdown would disrupt essential services, students’ examinations and economic activity. The government has maintained that the proposed FNTA legislation would provide a legal framework for decentralised governance within the existing state structure.

The decision to defer the agitation comes as a major relief for the government ahead of the special Assembly session.

The FNTA issue has also figured in recent meetings between Chief Minister Rio, Deputy Chief Ministers Y. Patton and T.R. Zeliang, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. While the meetings raised expectations of progress, no official announcement has yet been made on the Centre’s position.

Political attention is now focused on the special Assembly session, where the government is expected to introduce legislation outlining the proposed FNTA framework, including provisions for a governing council, financial autonomy and greater control over specified subjects.

However, ENPO made it clear that the agitation has only been deferred, not withdrawn. The organisation said its Central Executive Council will meet on August 6 to review developments and decide its future course of action.

It also said it would closely scrutinise the proposed FNTA Bill and expects meaningful devolution of powers rather than what it described as a “toothless” arrangement. ENPO warned that if the legislation fails to meet the aspirations of the people of Eastern Nagaland, or if there is no concrete movement from the Centre on the larger political settlement, the agitation could be revived.

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