ENPO extends emergency, total shutdown in eastern Nagaland districts

DIMAPUR — The Eastern Nagaland Public Organisation has announced that the state of ‘public emergency’ and total shut down would continue in the six eastern districts.

In a notification issued by the ENPO Control Room, Tuensang headquarter on Sunday, the organisation stated that the ongoing emergency and shut down would continue until further notice in all the six districts including Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator.

It said that the power department, media houses, fire and emergency services, as well as cases of medical emergencies and weddings would be exempted from the restrictions.

While the notification did not go into details, it is expected that the arrangements for the bandh would remain unchanged— complete restriction on movement of public, private and government vehicles, and total shutdown of state and central government offices, government and private institutions, both government and private schools and colleges, business establishments.

‘Tribal bodies are to coordinate with all concerned respectively,’ the notice stated.

Earlier on March 5, the ENPO and its frontal organisations, dismayed by the central government’s delay in implementing its offer to create a Frontier Nagaland Territory, declared public emergency in the eastern region of Nagaland. This was followed by a ‘dawn to dusk’ bandh on March 8 in all the six districts.

The ENPO also invoked the Feb. 23, 2024, Chenmoho resolution “not to participate in any central and state election.”

During the period of public emergency, “there should be no election campaign by any political party within eastern Nagaland. Any individual or group not adhering to the declaration would be doing so with their own risk whatsoever,” it cautioned.