Nagaland: Why Centre's move to create autonomous council has spurred concern

The Nagaland government and an umbrella organisation of seven Naga tribes are running  around desperately trying to douse the tensions that has erupted by the Centre’s decision to create an autonomous council for six districts of the state. The Centre has, however, kept the state government in the dark about the new arrangement which has created a lot of confusion and apprehension among the people in the state.

This atmosphere of uncertainty has prompted Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to rush to New Delhi with his entire cabinet in tow on Monday (July 3) to get “clarity” on the matter. The Centre has reportedly agreed to grant an autonomous council called the Frontier Naga Territorial Council to seven Naga tribes inhabiting the six districts in the eastern part of Nagaland in a bid to resolve their ongoing demand for a separate state.

An official announcement is expected in a couple of days. The former special director of the Intelligence Bureau and Centre’s interlocutor for Naga peace talks, AK Mishra, is likely to hold the final round of discussions with the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), the umbrella organisation of the seven tribes, this week to finalise the formation of the council, sources said.

Seven Naga tribes

Konyak, Chang, Sangtam, Phom, Khiamniungan Tikhir and Yimkhiung are the seven tribes that have raised the demand for a separate state.

Rejecting the statehood demand, the Centre has decided to create a 49-member council, which will be an elected body to administer the functioning of certain departments in the six districts of Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator, an ENPO source said.

Also read: Nagaland urban local body polls: Law of land must be followed, says SC

Confirming the Centre’s decision, Nagaland deputy chief minister Yanthungo Patton told The Federal that they (cabinet ministers) would be meeting Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday (July 4) to get “clarity on the matter”.

“Only after the meeting with the home minister, the state government will be able to announce its stand,” he pointed out.

The state government is in principle not against the council, Patton said, pointing out that the state cabinet in 2011 had recommended the creation of an autonomous council to expedite development in the six districts.

Territorial, administrative jurisdiction

Though by and large, there is consensus in favour of such an administrative setup, there are some objections over the territorial and administrative jurisdiction of the proposed council and the manner it is being worked out bypassing the state government and elected representatives of the six districts, sources said.

“We have come to know that 45 departments will be transferred to the proposed council, which will also have legislative, executive and administrative autonomy,” said a top leader of the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party.

Also read: Nagaland govt on slippery ground again, this time due to oil row

“There is an apprehension that this council would be almost a state in itself. Hence, the chief minister has gone to New Delhi with his cabinet colleagues to discuss the contour of the council,” said the leader, who preferred to be anonymous.

Meanwhile, the likely inclusion of some areas dominated by the Sumi tribe in the proposed council has triggered protests. There are several Sumi villages in Kiphire and Shamator districts. Thousands of people from the community took to the streets last week demanding their territory be merged with Zunheboto district if the council is created with the six eastern districts. Zunheboto is a Sumi-dominated district.

The apex body of the Sumi community in the eastern districts, the Eastern Sumi Hoho (ESH) has also submitted a memorandum to the CM to place them under Zunheboto district.

Tuesday meeting

To allay all apprehensions regarding the council, the ENPO has convened a meeting with the ESH on Tuesday. The ENPO will also hold similar parleys with other stakeholders to clear “any misunderstanding”, sources added. “I think all these issues will be resolved,” said Patton.

All eyes are now on the twin meetings on Tuesday (July 4) – one between the Union home minister and the Nagaland chief minister and his cabinet colleagues and the other between the ENPO and the “stakeholders”.