DIMAPUR — The Naga Rising (TNR) has lauded Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) for not failing the people but stood truthfully to their cause and belief, while it added that ENPO and eastern Nagaland have shown the true meaning of unity and the way to stand together for one’s cause.
TNR, in a press release issued on Sunday, urged all the Nagas to support ENPO and the people of eastern Nagaland during their difficult and challenging time. It stated that the people of eastern Nagaland have been deeply hurt by the manner in which they have been ‘deceived’ by those in power, not just once, but several times.
Lambasting at the BJP government for making electoral promises to grant ‘Frontier Nagaland’ since the time of Nitin Gadkari, when he was its president in 2012, TNR claimed that nothing happened even though the BJP-led NDA came to power in 2014 and ruled for two successive terms.
Pointing out that the call of the ENPO to abstain from voting was not a new thing, TNR mentioned that earlier in 2022, a call was given not to participate in the 2023 Nagaland Assembly elections owing to the government’s failure to meet their demand. It added that ENPO relented after specific assurances were given by none other than the union home minister. It went on to state that similar promise was made by the Government of India in December 2023 to resolve the issue and ink a deal before the model code of conduct into effect.
TNR, therefore, stated that the decision made by the ENPO to abstain from the ongoing Lok Sabha election was fully justified.
Meanwhile, TNR lauded the determination of the public of eastern Nagaland for exercising their democratic right to protest peacefully. It pointed out that the demonstration of unity and sense of purpose displayed by the people of eastern Nagaland is a valuable lesson for the rest of the Nagas.
“History repeated itself on 19th April 2024 in the Naga Hills. In an extraordinary act of unity of purpose, our brothers and sisters of eastern Nagaland have successfully shown what people’s movement should be like. The last time the Nagas saw such a unity was on 16th May 1951 when the Nagas successfully conducted a plebiscite that shaped the course of Naga history,” TNR said.
It stated that any attempt to take action against ENPO and the people of eastern Nagaland would be unfair and might only alienate them. On the contrary, it felt that other Nagas must reach out to them, while the Government of India should regain their trust.
TNR was of the view that ENPO deserved credit, considering the sentiments of Nagas towards unity saying that from its earlier demand for a separate state of Frontier Nagaland, it accepted the alternative proposal for ‘Frontier Naga Territory (FNT) ‘without insisting on dividing Nagaland state.’ It maintained that Nagas must acknowledge the sacrifice made by the ENPO for the greater cause of fraternity and also for its support to help find a permanent solution to the Indo-Naga issue.
Whatever might be the outcome of the present Lok Sabha elections, TNR asserted that efforts must continue towards finding an amicable resolution to the proposed FNT. It added that real and effective powers must be delegated to the FNT as the genuine grievances presented by the ENPO merits immediate attention.
