Nokchem Angth: This post is coming from a layman who is thirsty for separate state from the present Nagaland State and in solidarity with rest of the ENPO people, who rallied in respective Headquarters in solidarity for Frontier Nagaland demand. Much have been discussed and deliberated for the same, in both, board or narrow sense, but no one wants to spell out the truth for the best reason known to individual. However, keeping aside the historical background, the below fact should be considered and made known to all.
The REALITY of beautiful Nagaland
Railway Station: Dimapur, Airport Authority : Dimapur, Science Center : Dimapur, NPTC : Dimapur, SETAM College : Dimapur, SIRD NU Branch : Medziphema, Dimapur, ICAR : Medziphema, Dimapur, State Cricket Stadium : Sovima, Dimapur, National Institute of Technology: Chumukedima, Dimapur, New Airport : Kohima, New Railway : Kohima, Four Lane : Dmp-Khm, New Medical College : Kohima, Science College : Kohima, IG Stadium : Kohima, NU Branch : Meriema, Kohima, NIELIT : Kohima, Mental Institute of Nagaland : Kohima, TV Station : Jotsoma, Kohima, Music Task Force : Kohima, Doyang Hydro Project : Wokha, Nagaland University : Zunheboto, Veterinary College : Peren, Ayurvedic College : Peren, Sainik School : Peren, Nagaland Paper and Pulp Mill/Company : Tuli, Mokochung, Agriculture Research Center : Mokokchung.
Out of 70-80 colleges, there are only 7 colleges in Eastern Nagaland. Many are allergic to this fact but it is also even a half percent compilation. If this is the trend of one state where all the major establishments are being focused in just selected places, can we still say that equality and justice is being maintained? Out of 11 districts in Nagaland, 4 are from Eastern Nagaland but still these 4 districts aren't counted when decisions for major developmental activities are taken. Yet, people proclaim that Eastern Nagas have 20 MLAs, we are being given DUDA, that we enjoy 25% reservations and what not. But the truths are:
1. One has to understand that we had 35 members in erstwhile Regional Council Members. Now, the question is where is and who have taken 15 missing seats from Eastern Nagaland? The only few people have answer for that but they will never tell us the truth.
2. DUDA was created inclusively for Eastern Nagaland but in reality, Zunheboto, Wokha, Meluri (Phek) and Peren are ignorantly put under DUDA and they enjoy the same status with rest of the districts under DUDA.
3. Implementation of job reservations for 41 years has given no positive development in employment sector. It is so provoking to know that not even a single department, out of 70 to 80 departments, has successfully implemented 25% reservations till date. In fact, 41 years of Reservations and 54 years after statehood, the ratio of Eastern Nagas in employment sector is only 6 to 7 %. And out of this tiny percentage, 90% are third and fourth grade.
Taking all this into account, the Eastern Nagas thought that for us, Frontier Nagaland is the only solution. Therefore;
"WE DEMAND: FRONTIER NAGALAND" " LONG LIVE: ENPO"
PS: this is purely an individual's view and doesn't reflect any organization or association in any way that the author is associated with.
Alang Sakang Wanghim: I appreciate the facts which have been posted by PM and this is just the lighter points yet very heavy would be "If you only visit EN areas" you will open your eyes and see how the so called advanced tribes are employed but are never in the station and draw their salary from home. We can/cannot take the case further as they were recommended by either the minister or the top official of the department. We feel so discriminated, inferior and vice versa. This is a call for all the EN to come together and join hands for what is ours.
Hukai Sumi: While respecting the Eastern Nagas’ demand for Frontier Nagaland let me simultaneously give some critiques in the context of what PM posted. You talked of Nagaland having Airport and Railway Station only in Dimapur & also the New Railway line to Kohima. However, it is to be noted that the Railway Station was not constructed by the Nagaland Government. It is a railway station on the Lumding-Dibrugarh section laid by Assam Bengal Railway from Chittagong to Lumding and was extended to Tinsukia on the Dibru-Sadiya line in 1903. Also the new Dimapur-Zubza-Kohima line project is a National Project. Dimapur airport was built during World War II and not the Nagaland Government. These were constructed taking into consideration the strategic, logistic, commercial….point of view. You can construct an airport in the eastern Nagaland but will it be profitable enough for airlines to continue their service? Even Dimapur airport or for that matter passengers to Dimapur from Kolkata and Delhi are given step-motherly treatment. As for railway, we have to look from commercial point of view.
You talked of Ayurvedic College : Peren. This college is an initiative of Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved Limited and not the project/scheme of Nagaland Government. You talked of “Doyang Hydro Project : Wokha” but look how many hydro projects are there in Eastern Nagaland (Except for Doyang the rest of the hydro projects in Nagaland are in Eastern Naga Sector):
1. Doyang Hydroelectric Project, Wokha (Capacity: 75 MW), Location: Doyang, Wokha, Nagaland, River: Doyang; 2. Likimro Hydro Electric Project, Kiphire, (Capacity: 24 MW), Location: Moya Village, Pungro, Kiphire, River: Likimro; 3. Lang Hydro Electric Project, Tuensang, (Capacity: 1 MW), Location: Pangsha village, Noklak, Tuensang, River: Lang; 4. Tehok Hydro Electric Project, Mon, (Capacity: 1 MW), Location: Tehok, Mon, River: Tehok; 5. Ponglefo Hydro Electric project (under construction as on Aug 2016), Kiphire (Capacity: 1 MW) Location: Kiphire, River: Likimro.
ONE WISH: That the Eastern Naga brothers live in unity. Sadly, there is disunity amongst the tribes that a Konyak cannot work in Tuensang, a Sangtam cannot work in Shamator or Pungro, a Yimchunger cannot work in Kiphire or Noklak. Unless this problem is resolved, the prospect of “Frontier Nagaland” is still out of reach.
Yanpvuo Kikon: No one can deny the fact that progress and development comes from EDUCATION. Whereas tribes like Lothas, Aos, Angamis, Sumis etc had the fortune of getting educated first and had the privilege to design the masterplan for a Nagaland (Not Lothaland or Aoland or Sumiland), we cannot deny the fact again that tribalism definitely played its unsolicited part in putting my village, clan, tribe first instead of Nagaland.
Today we have arrived at this very unfortunate state due to mismanagement of our state of affairs wherein there are absolute disproportionate levels of socio-educational and economic disparities amongst the tribes leaving aside the issue of creamy layer which will be factored in at a different analysis.
ENPO tribes have every right to air their grievances and unequal pace of progress for which this form of revolt has to be accepted, studied and find the best possible means to balance out the inequalities.
So where do we begin the process of achieving social equilibrium? Blaming each other will never help us achieve anything, rather we ought to look for the solution to this problem. The leaders in every sphere of our society must come together by engaging the best minds to scientifically assess the current situation and draft a ROADMAP to build a new Nagaland. And this is the perfect time to discuss the goals and objectives, then set up milestones and a achievable ACTION PLAN to start immediately where we should have measurable social, economic and educational parameters (Village, Block, Town wise) based on cooperation and not competition in order for us to achieve some state of equitable growth and progress within the next 20 years.
Else if we cannot start such a radical program today, the next best option is to provide ENPO leaders the opportunity to form and manage their own state because from a political perspective, Modi will be more than happy to accommodate this idea because he will get another Lok Sabha seat for 2019. (Article 3 of the Constitution vests the power to the Parliament on the subject to form new states).
Because whether we like it or not, we have accepted ourselves to be part of the Naga confederation and each one of us must give huge efforts to keep ourselves together without getting disintegrated. Even if we disintegrate, we must not alienate ourselves but rather work towards reforms on our political and administrative structure, wherein each tribal republic will have equal representation as well as autonomy towards developing our respective republics. Because the existing political and administrative structure doesn't seem to be compatible with our tribal society and if we forcefully continue this system, it will by default lead to disintegration back to our roots wherein say we may have a Tenyimie Republic, CNTC, ENPO and Southern with the worst scenario wherein we might be in endless conflict with one another over territorial disputes and conflicts which we tribals place more priority over progress and prosperity.