Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has rushed to Delhi amidst increasing demands by a sizeable Naga population of four ‘backward districts’ for the creation of a state within the state.
The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), representing Nagas inhabiting four of the state’s 11 districts, has for long been demanding the creation of ‘Frontier Nagaland’. Its demand is based on ‘historical facts’ and alleged gross neglect done to the four districts by successive governments.
Rio, who heads the ruling Nagaland People’s Front government, will meet Union home minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday in a bid to work out a solution after his offer of autonomous council was turned down by the ENPO.
“The chief minister will meet the home minister on Tuesday and brief him of the overall situation,” the chief minister’s office told DNA. It added: “Government is strongly against the bifurcation of the state.”
The ENPO is the apex organisation of six Naga tribes. The organisation made it clear it would not accept anything short of statehood insisting that the formation of a new state could only help improve the overall condition of the people living in these four districts.