MoS is just a ‘working paper’ and not a ‘draft’, says MHA
DIMAPUR, MARCH 21 (MExN): The Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU) has made an appeal to the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) to suspend the ongoing ‘Public Emergency’ for the greater interest of the Frontier Nagaland Territory.
In a letter addressed to the ENPO president dated March 18, the ENLU gave a summary on the meeting held with Advisor (North-East), Ministry of Home Affairs, AK Mishra; Joint Director (IB) Rajesh Kamble; Union Home Secretary, AK Bhalla and other senior officials in Delhi.
During the meeting, the ENLU highlighted the series of events following the sharing of the draft Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) by the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on December 21, 2023 to the ENLU members for observation and discussion with the ENPO.
It stated that on receipt of the draft MoS, a consultation meeting was held with ENPO and its frontal organizations where they refused to comment over the draft on the ground that it was yet to receive it officially from the MHA/GoI and “lacked authenticity.” It also termed the draft as unsatisfactory and hence refused to accept it.
Consequently, in view of the delay to provide draft by the GoI to the ENPO, a public emergency was imposed with effect from March 8, 2024, the ENLU informed the MHA officials while urging the GoI to provide the draft MoS to the ENPO officially at the earliest.
Also voicing opinion on the highlights of the draft MoS, the ENLU maintained that it had conveyed to the State Government that it is “dissatisfied and refused to accept the draft.” Accordingly, the State Cabinet requested the ENLU to have further discussion with the MHA/GoI, it added.
In their response, the MHA officials, at the meeting, informed that the highlights of the draft MoS which the ENPO received through the Chief Minister was not actually a draft but a ‘working paper’ given to the State Government for observations and comments.
Further, the MHA is learnt to have stated that this working paper will come to a final stage when all the stake holders, which include Talk Team, MHA, State Government and ENPO agree to the draft in the spirit of tripartite talk for a permanent and lasting solution.
The MHA is also learnt to have appealed to the ENLU to convey to the State Government and other stakeholders to discuss the draft and forward it to them.
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