Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio will attend a meeting on Monday with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in Delhi to sort out the demand of Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO) for a separate state of ‘Frontier Nagaland’, comprising four border districts of the state.
Official sources said Mr Rio visited the capital, accompanied by cabinet colleagues, MLAs from both ruling and opposition and officials, following an invitation from Chidambaram to discuss the demand of a separate state. Sources informed that Nagaland Home Minister Imkong L Imchen, Minister for Roads and Bridges G Kaito Aye, Minister for Forest MC Konyak, Minister for Soil and Water Conservation P Longon, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development Pangyuh Phom, Congress MLAs from the Eastern Nagaland region H Chuba and Chingwang Konyak had also reached Delhi to attend the meeting with the Home minister P Chidambaram.
It may be mentioned here that the ENPO, who has been demanding a separate state within Nagaland, christened as ‘Frontier Nagaland,’ had reiterated its demand during the visit of Union Minister of State for Home Jitendra Singh to Mon on May 28 last to meet leaders of the tribal councils, civil society organisations and civil administration and Assam Rifles officials.
The ENPO had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister in 2010 with its demand while asserting that only a separate state for the six tribes, inhabiting the frontier areas, would bring about socio-economic development in the border region of the state. On the other hand, the state government, when asked by the Centre for its opinion on the issue, had opposed division of the state but recommended an autonomous council for the four districts which was, however, rejected by the ENPO. (UNI)