More than a thousand people gathered at Dimapur airport on Saturday to give a grand reception to the 43-member Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) delegation returning from New Delhi after signing the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA). The reception included a thanksgiving prayer program at Konyak Paan, co-hosted by various Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Unions.
ENPO president Chingmak Chang addressed the crowd, reaffirming that the demand for a separate state for Eastern Nagaland is unchanged, framing the FNTA as just the first step toward that goal. He recounted that the ENPO was established in 1996 to draw attention to the persistent hardships and developmental neglect faced by Eastern Nagas. The organization formally resolved to demand statehood on May 27, 2007, and submitted a memorandum to the Government of India on December 6, 2010.
Chang recognized the sacrifices made by the people over time and deemed the signing of the agreement a collective achievement. “The credit for signing the agreement belongs to every citizen of Eastern Nagaland,” he stated, urging unity among all eight tribes to advance the FNTA.
He acknowledged the efforts of the Central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, as well as the Nagaland government under Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and chief negotiator A.K. Mishra, thanking them for their role in the negotiations. Describing the FNTA as a people’s movement, he compared it to a newborn whose future hinges on nurturing. He noted that FNTA will operate within Nagaland for ten years but emphasized that Eastern Nagaland will remain an integral part of the state, clarifying that FNTA is not the final destination and that the pursuit of statehood persists.
Interacting with media, Chang stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs will provide financial and developmental assistance for FNTA. He announced the formation of a joint monitoring committee, comprising representatives from the Central government, State government, and ENPO, to supervise the agreement’s implementation.
An interim administrative setup, functioning like a mini-secretariat, will be established with a Chief Executive Secretary leading it, appointed by the Governor in consultation with ENPO. The timeline for this setup will be finalized after discussions with tribal bodies. Chang further noted that FNTA is established under Article 371(A) of the Constitution, rather than the Fifth or Sixth Schedule, making it a distinct ten-year arrangement.
Earlier, Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Union Dimapur president N.T. Thamlong Phom remarked on the historic significance of the day but cautioned that the journey ahead is still long. He expressed gratitude to former ENPO leaders and other Naga tribes for their support, emphasizing the need for continued unity.
The program concluded with a thanksgiving prayer led by pastors from the six Eastern Nagaland districts.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/nagaland/nagaland-enpo-delegation-receives-grand-welcome-after-fnta-moa-signing.html
Category: Nagaland,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-02-08 16:20:00
