Kohima, April 18 (MExN): The Eastern Nagaland Legislators’ Union (ENLU) today stated that in the event of the failure of talks or any adverse impact on the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) due to non-participation in the 18th Lok Sabha election in the region, it should not be held responsible.
“In the event the talks fail or are affected adversely due to the non-participation in the election, the Legislators of Eastern Nagaland will not be answerable and should not be blamed,” the ENLU stated in a letter to the ENPO and other apex tribal organisations from the regions.
In the letter, the ENLU stated that the union had appealed the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) as well to the public of Eastern Nagaland on many occasions to participate in the forthcoming Lok Sabha Election and fulfill their constitutional responsibility of voting.
This is essential, it implied, to create a conducive atmosphere for continuation of the negotiations of the FNT and to keep the talks alive with the Gol (Government of India).
The ENLU members had also given their assurance that they would extend fullest cooperation to the negotiation process once the new government is formed at the Centre, it stated.
However, the ENLU pointed out that the ENPO and tribal hohos have forced the Legislators of eastern Nagaland not to participate in the democratic process of election.
Abstention from the ongoing Lok Sabha polls does not provide any advantage in the negotiation rather, it may delay the entire process and the members are concerned that such a decision will hinder the negotiation process, and may even lead to breakdown of the talks, it maintained.
The ENLU also asserted that it is important for all the stakeholders of Eastern Nagaland involved in the negotiation process not to lose sight of the common objective of FNT. “Any course of action that compromises this objective becomes questionable,” it added. Accordingly, the ENLU stated that it should not be held responsible to any adverse impact on FNT due to non-participation in the elections in eastern Nagaland.
