Eastern Naga body to 'abstain' from, not 'boycott' Lok Sabha poll in Nagaland

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Kohima, April 15 (IANS) Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO) President R. Tsapikiu Sangtam on Monday clarified that the people of eastern Nagaland, comprising six districts, would not "boycott" the coming Lok Sabha elections but "abstain" from the electoral process.

He said that there would be no obstruction to polling and election-related official and other activities in the six districts, despite the decision of eastern Nagaland's people to abstain from casting their ballots in the April 19 election to the state's sole Lok Sabha seat.

Sangtam, while talking to the media, said that though the normal polling process would continue in all the ENPO areas, the public would abstain from the electoral process. He reiterated the ENPO’s call to the people of the eastern region to stand in solidarity with the decision taken earlier.

Acknowledging the citizens’ right to vote, the Naga leader also highlighted their equal right to refrain from voting.

"People of eastern Nagaland are unhappy with the indifferent attitude of the governments and treatment meted out to them by both the Central and state governments. People of the region had chosen to express their dissatisfaction at the highest level," he said.

The ENPO, which has been demanding a separate administration or state comprising six backward Nagaland districts since 2010, earlier urged the people to boycott the April 19 elections to the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state unless their demand is met, despite the appeals from the state government and various other parties.

The agitating ENPO in support of its demand since March 8, has imposed a "public emergency" affecting normal activities.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission is getting ready to hold the polls for the Nagaland seat in the state on Friday.

Election officials said that they are making all-out efforts to conduct the voting in the eastern Nagaland areas, comprising 20 of the 60 assembly seats, in six eastern districts -- Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang.

Urging the ENPO to participate in the voting, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP Legislature Party leader Yanthungo Patton had earlier said that polling stations would be set up across the state, including eastern Nagaland.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio earlier held a meeting with officials of the eastern Nagaland region and requested them to persuade the ENPO to withdraw the boycott call. Rio, who is sympathetic to the demand of the ENPO, recently said that the state government has already recommended, to the Centre, that an autonomous region be set up for the people of the eastern region.

Of Nagaland’s 16 districts, seven backward tribes -- Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Phom, Tikhir, Sangtam, and Yimkhiung -- live in the six eastern districts. The ENPO, the apex Naga body, and its associated organisations, in support of its separate state demand, gave a call to boycott last year’s Assembly polls (February 27) but later withdrew it following an assurance from Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Union Home Ministry, responding to the ENPO’s demand, last year formed a three-member committee, headed by Adviser, Northeast, A.K. Mishra to study their demand, and the panel visited Nagaland several times and spoke with all stakeholders.

The BJP, which is a partner of the United Democratic Alliance government in Nagaland and the Eastern Nagaland Legislative Union (ENLU), a body of 20 MLAs representing the six backward districts, earlier separately urged the ENPO to participate in the voting.

--IANS

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