the government of India knew it had a catch 22 situation at hand. Amid the already sustained pressure to deliver on ‘Greater Nagaland’ as being demanded by the potent insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM), has come this demand, albeit by a nascent Eastern Nagaland Public Organisation (ENPO) which wants bifurcation of the state itself.

The meeting attended among others by representatives of ENPO besides top Home Ministry officials and two Nagaland MPs, Khekiho Sema and C M Chang was held on the backdrop of a sustained campaign by the ENPO under the guiding theme of ‘Frontier Nagaland - Nothing More, Nothing Less’.

Six different Naga tribes inhabiting the districts of Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire and Longleng bordering Myanmar have been demanding the creation of a new state for what they termed as a decade long ‘oppression and suppression’ of the state government. ENPO is essentially the apex organisation of six Naga tribes Changs, Yimchunger, Konyaks, Khiamnuingans, Sangtams and Phoms.

The ENPO leadership has maintained that their demand is based on “historical facts” and that the creation of a 9th state in the north east in the name and style of ‘Frontier Nagaland’ would help improve the overall condition of the local people in these districts.

Notably, this belt even a decade back came under the twin districts of Mon and Tuensang and since its statehood in 1963, Nagaland has not had any Chief Minister from the area. So, in all normal analysis and face value, the demand for a new state and even the charge of ‘neglect’ and ‘suppression’ from Kohima is not without good reason.

“It was a very frank and constructive discussion. The Union Home Minister said a separate state is not viable but he is sympathetic towards the speedy development of the eastern parts of Nagaland,” said the Nagaland Home Minister Imkong Imchen.

However, the government of India and to a large extent even the Neiphio Rio government in Nagaland have their own reasons – both ways separate and even common factors – to oppose such a demand. Therefore, it was quite comfortably and perhaps even sensibly from New Delhi’s point of view, in his meeting on June 4th that Chidambaram rejected the demand for carving out a new state outright.

“It was a very frank and constructive discussion. The Union Home Minister said a separate state is not viable but he is sympathetic towards the speedy development of the eastern parts of Nagaland,” said the Nagaland Home Minister Imkong Imchen.

The Chief Minister Rio, now that he has turned into a seasoned player in Nagaland in the last 9 years, however, refused to say much. In fact, emerging out of the North Block, Rio merely said, “First I would like to see some statement from the Home Ministry then we can say something”.

Sources reveal that the centre would not like to commit to anything soon as even the creation of a new autonomous council would require substantial funds and apparently this looks difficult for the time being as the global economic recession, Eurozone crisis are already pinching the government hard.

However, the anti-climax over the issue lay somewhere else. The demand of ‘Frontier Nagaland’ is seen by a section of the people and political observers in Nagaland only as a “design” of the government of India. This is largely taken as a good old ‘divide and rule’ policy pursued from New Delhi not only towards the north east but for several other parts as well. Observers feel that by propping up the ‘Frontier Nagaland’ issue with the active involvement of its agencies, the Government of India is hoping to counter the ‘Greater Nagaland’ demand of the NSCN (IM). The demand for ‘Greater Nagaland’ envisages encompassing all Naga contiguous areas under one administrative umbrella and has already sparked off violent protests in Manipur and parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

People belonging to the local tribes across the four districts - Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire and even sensitive Seyochung first raised the banner for a new state on May 25th, 2007 at a rally in Tuensang. The locals have maintained that their demand is irrevocable and have made it known to the centre more than once besides submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The ENPO Vice President Chingmak Chang strongly articulates the demand saying that the gap between eastern Nagas and the rest has widened further over the years. The protagonists of a new state, like K. Wangsha of the Konyak tribe or C M Chang, Lok Sabha MP from the state, describe the demand as a “people’s demand” and not directed against any political party, groups or individuals.

ENPO sources say for instance that out of a population of 1,20,000 only 2300 Konyaks are employed in the government service. This is certainly poor given the percentage of other Naga tribes – like the developed ones such as the Aos, Angamis and Semas.

The region still complains of connectivity and that the people are more often dependant on the neighbouring state of Assam than their own state administration.

On its part, the coalition government headed by regional party NPF, also considered to be close to the NSCN(IM) leadership, has also ruled out ‘bifurcation’ of Nagaland.
In fact, on 9th August, 2011, the Nagaland Chief Minister in his meeting with the union Home Minister mooted the proposal for the creation of an ‘autonomous council’ for the demarcated region covering the four districts.

“The Chief Minister’s proposal is in line with the decision of the ruling Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) and state cabinet taken in Kohima on July 20th, 2011,” state government sources claim.

However, the bitter fact that this belt in Nagaland remains under-developed even at the standards of the northeastern region could be appreciated from the fact that in state assembly proceedings earlier this year, members cutting across party lines had agreed that the successive governments in the state have failed to bring the border districts at par with other parts of the state.

In fact, there is a claim that for every 100 Nagas in this region only 6 from the six-affected tribes were employed with the government.

Now, there is no doubt that there has been tremendous development in all the states of the north east including Nagaland in last six decades and, as they say, with “generous” funding from the centre; the infrastructure development is an ongoing process. To many old timers; the region has in fact surpassed the aspirations of the founding fathers. “Our people are living a standard of life which our forefathers had never dreamt off,” is a phrase often heard. But it is also true that some pockets like eastern Nagaland need to catch up with this momentum.