The recent press rejoinder from the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) stating that the NPF has no moral right to talk about integration is interesting and perhaps the Opposition Congress has come out with a good political argument. The NPCC states that it has reason to claim that the NPF’s “concept of integration is totally untenable given the fact that it talks of integration on one side while on the other side it doesn’t show an iota of remorse even though the Nagas of Nagaland are on the brink of disintegration following the demand of ENPO for a separate Frontier Nagaland State”. The NPCC has qualified its argument by stating that both Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and NPF party President Dr. Shurhozelie had said “the demand of ENPO is not within the power of the State” but “within the power of Delhi” and thereby “conveying a no objection” to the separation of the ENPO areas from present Nagaland. While the NPF has a point in that creation of a new State will have to be done by the Government of India (Parliament), nevertheless even Delhi cannot impose its decision just like that and it has to take proper consultation, viewpoint and perhaps see whether there is a consensus in favour or against that is. So the question is whether the NPF has jumped the gun by hurriedly leaving it to the wisdom of Delhi vis-a-vis the ENPO demand for Frontier Nagaland. The point being made by the NPCC is that integration and disintegration cannot go together and that while the NPF is strongly propagating for integration, yet by its ‘callous attitude’ on the Frontier Nagaland issue, the NPF is encouraging disintegration of a section of the Nagas.
While it may not have the intention, yet by leaving it to the wisdom of the Government of India to decide on the matter, the present NPF government is sending out the wrong signal that it is uninterested or given up about protecting the integrity of present Nagaland. Perhaps a clarification is needed here. Much more could have been done as this is a matter of grave concern for the unity and integration of Nagaland. When a section of your citizenry wants to separate from you, any right thinking person in authority should not give up so easily whatever may be the difficulties. Hopefully, the NPF government can keep its door open for dialogue with the people of the ENPO areas. While we do not doubt the concern of the present government on the grievances brought out by the ENPO, nevertheless the government in power should do much more. In fact for both the ruling NPF and the Opposition Congress, there is no point glorifying who should have done what, so on and so forth. Both should now focus on what should be done to collectively address this issue.
Like the Naga political issue, both Congress and NPF should rise above politics on the critical issue brought out by the ENPO demand. And we are hopeful that this will happen. The bi-partisan concern shown during the recent discussion at the ongoing budget session is very encouraging. As one of the Congress MLA, Chuba Chang mentioned during the debate: if the Nagas work in the spirit of brotherhood the problems and issues of the Eastern Nagas will be solved. And perhaps the Chief Minister should follow up on the good sense of the NPCC President who shared the view that “if one takes political mileage out of the ENPO issue the problem would still persist”. The senior Congress MLA called on the legislators to put aside party politics and sink their differences to sort out the problem once and for all. It is now up to the present government to take some pro-active steps to once again reach out to the ENPO. Perhaps an all party team of MLAs from non-ENPO areas should be formed.
