Cabinet urges eastern Nagaland gazetted officers' body to persuade people to participate in polls

The state government has presented a brief report from the time it statehood movement started in 2010 till now, while different members presented their opinions and views, he said.The cabinet has reiterated to ENPO through the ENGOA that they must participate in the electoral process this time and should cooperate in whatever is ahead without taking any confrontational position, he said.With understanding and more patience, we should resolve this issue.

The cabinet of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday appealed to the Eastern Nagaland Gazetted Officers Association (ENGOA) to persuade people of the region to participate in the Lok Sabha elections.

The cabinet led by Rio made the appeal during a meeting with ENGOA officials and other leaders of the region at the CMO on Thursday evening, state government spokesperson and minister KG Kenye told reporters.

''The cabinet held a meeting with ENGOA and some other leaders of the eastern region for the first time and they were well represented. We deliberated on all documents and took stock of the status up to what extent developments have taken place till now (regarding the statehood issue),'' he said.

The Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) has been demanding a separate state since 2010, claiming that the six districts in the eastern region of the state have been neglected for years in all aspects.

ENPO is the apex body of seven Naga tribes of the region inhabiting the six districts of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Noklak and Shamator.

Expressing resentment over the non-fulfillment of its demand, the ENPO on March 5 declared a 'public emergency' by calling on people not to participate in the polls.

Besides not allowing election campaigning during the 'public emergency', the ENPO had also imposed a total shutdown for days within its jurisdiction in March.

The ENPO did not accept an appeal made by the state cabinet and Eastern Nagaland Legislators' Union on March 30 to allow participation in the polls.

It also wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India on April 1 about its decision to abstain from the electoral process till its demand was fulfilled.

''Today's meeting was healthy and we had free and frank discussions. The state government has presented a brief report from the time it (statehood movement) started in 2010 till now, while different members presented their opinions and views,'' he said.

The cabinet has reiterated to ENPO through the ENGOA that they must participate in the electoral process this time and should cooperate in whatever is ahead without taking any confrontational position, he said.

''With understanding and more patience, we should resolve this issue. It does not mean that if not resolved before the parliamentary elections, the issue will die down. It is a continuous process and has already taken more than a decade and will continue after the installation of the new government at the Centre,'' Kenye said.

''If ENPO still stands by its decision, we will continue to request everyone up to the last citizen of the state to cast their votes in the electoral process of this country,'' he said.

He said the ENGOA has assured the government that it will continue to persuade the ENPO, which is spearheading the movement, to participate in the polls.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)