Morung Express News
KOHIMA | JULY 19
The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation today clarified that it has not decided anything on its reported demand for separate statehood. ENPO president, Phowang Konyak said that it is an open secret that they had a discussion amongst themselves at one point of time, but they have not made any concrete resolution for demanding separate state for the four districts of Nagaland-Mon, Tuensang, Longleng and Kiphire. Nor do they have prepared or submitted any demand document to the government.
“It is a figment of imagination. How, can they produce such report without any truth in it”, Phowang Konyak said, while refuting the news item purportedly emanated from an Indian intelligence analysis report. He also added that if at all such a decision had been made, they had no reason to hide it and would have made it known through the media. The president continued that if ever they arrived at such a decision, it would be carried out peacefully without affecting anyone, least of all the Peace talks, but as of now, there was no such decision.
Sources the Konyak Union also sought to put straight the record on their visit to Tirap in Arunachal saying that the visit was necessitated by the wedding of Tharam, the son of Angh of Longding. Tharam had been wedded to a woman of his own tribe who was an M. Ph from Delhi University on July 7 at Longding, a town in Tirap district. This tradition of visiting their tribal counterparts in Arunachal and Myanmar during any such occasion had been practiced from time immemorial and they did the same when any Konyak Angh in Nagaland was holding a feast. As such, the Konyak Union said that the reports of a signature campaign in Arunachal was totally off the mark.
Yes or no on reservation
The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation has urged upon the state government to say either ‘yes or no’ to its demand for 25% job reservation for the people of four districts-Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire and Longleng.
Currently, the agitation is on in the four districts in the form of bandh, spearheaded by the Eastern Nagaland Students’ Federation, to push their demand ahead.
ENPO president, Phohwang Konyak, said that they have submitted representation to the state government 2 years back on the issue, and the latter has form a review committee to look into their demand but so far the government has not given any respond. Phohwang also disclosed that ENPO and ENSF will on July 21 to decide further course of action.
