Cabinet keen to discuss statehood demand in Assembly

November 29, 2022 15 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 29

The Nagaland State Government continued making what appeared to be a last-ditch attempt to salvage governmental honour, even as the eastern bloc appeared set on boycotting the Hornbill Festival 2022.

Two days after the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) cold-shouldered a request from the Chief Minister to reconsider the former’s October 16 resolution to abstain from the annual state festival, the state Cabinet made another such appeal on November 28. The Cabinet, led by the CM, met today at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, following which an “appeal” was issued by the Cabinet Secretary addressed to the ENPO.

The message, which was also released to the media, requested the ENPO “to allow the cultural troupes and other people of the districts of Eastern Nagaland to participate in the Hornbill Festival 2022” and also “run the various Morungs.”

According to it, the Cabinet has taken note of the grievances raised by the ENPO and its affiliates with regard to participation of cultural troupes in the Hornbill festival. The issues, it added, have been addressed by the state government “by providing necessary additional facilities.”

Frontier state
With regard to the ENPO demand for a separate state, the “appeal” said that the Cabinet is keen to have the MLAs from the eastern bloc move a motion in the Assembly to discuss the issue. It said, “… The Cabinet was of the view that whenever the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Session is convened, the MLAs of ENLU (Eastern Nagaland Legislature Union), if and when they desire to discuss it, may move accordingly and the same shall be deliberated threadbare.”

It further said that the Cabinet was aware of the ENPO’s scheduled meeting with the Union Home Minister in Delhi on December 3. As told to The Morung Express by a senior state government official, the December 3 meeting was brokered via the intervention of the Chief Minister.

“Can’t tell if the State Government would attend the meeting on December 3… Some elected representatives may be present but we don’t know yet,” the official said, while adding that the Hornbill Festival will go ahead as scheduled.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/cabinet-keen-to-discuss-statehood-demand-in-assembly