Deadline Set for Nagaland Government’s Response on Creation of Frontier Nagaland Territory
- October 13, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
Deadline Set for Nagaland Government’s Response on Creation of Frontier Nagaland Territory
Sub : Polity
Sec: Federalism
Why in News
The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) has issued an October 31, 2024, deadline for the Nagaland government to provide feedback to the Ministry of Home Affairs on the proposal for creating an autonomous territory named Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT). This move could significantly impact the governance and territorial arrangement of Nagaland, specifically the six eastern districts bordering Myanmar.
What is Frontier Nagaland Territory?
The proposed FNT would comprise six districts: Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang.
The ENPO represents seven tribes: Konyak, Phom, Sangtam, Yimkhiung, Chang, Tikhir and Khiamniungan, has led the demand for the creation of FNT, citing long-standing neglect by the Nagaland state government towards these districts.
These districts make up about 20 out of 60 seats in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly and are located along the India-Myanmar border, making them strategically significant.
The ENPO claims that the eastern districts have been systematically neglected in terms of infrastructure, education, and development, which has prompted their call for greater political and administrative autonomy.
Historical Background: The demand for FNT was first articulated in 2010 by the ENPO, citing long-standing neglect by the state government in terms of infrastructure, education, and healthcare services in these regions.
The demand gained momentum in 2023, when people from these districts boycotted Nagaland’s Statehood Day and the Hornbill Festival—a major cultural event showcasing Naga heritage.
Constitutional Provisions:
Article 371A (Special Status for Nagaland): Nagaland enjoys special provisions under Article 371A of the Indian Constitution. This article ensures that no Act of Parliament in respect of religious or social practices of the Nagas, their customary laws, ownership of land, and its resources, applies to the state unless the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland passes a resolution to do so. This gives Nagaland significant autonomy over cultural and legal matters.
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India allows for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions which have been given autonomy within their respective states.
Most of these autonomous district councils are located in North East India but two are in Ladakh, a region administered by India as a union territory.
Presently, 10 Autonomous Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura are formed by virtue of the Sixth Schedule with the rest being formed as a result of other legislation.
The governor is empowered to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts. Thus, he can increase or decrease their areas or change theirnames or define their boundaries and so on.
If there are different tribes in an autonomous district, the governor can divide the district into several autonomous regions.
Each autonomous district has a district council consisting of 30 members, of whom four are nominated by the governor and the remaining 26 are elected on the basis of adult franchise.
The elected members hold office for a term of five years (unless the council is dissolved earlier) and nominated members hold office during the pleasure of the governor.
Each autonomous region also has a separate regional council.
The district and regional councils administer the areas under their jurisdiction. They can make laws on certain specified matters like land, forests, canal water, shifting cultivation, village administration, inheritance of property, marriage and divorce, social customs and so on.
But all such laws require the assent of the governnor.
The district and regional councils within their territorial jurisdictions can constitute village councils or courts for trial of suits and cases between the tribes. They hear appeals from them.
The jurisdiction of high court over these suits and cases is specified by the governor.
The district council can establish, construct or manage primary schools, dispensaries, markets, ferries, fisheries, roads and so on in the district. It can also make regulations for the control of money lending and trading bynon-tribals. But such regulations require the assent of the governor.
The district and regional councils are empowered to assess and collect land revenue and to impose certain specified taxes.
The acts of Parliament or the state legislature do not apply to autonomous districts and autonomous regions or apply with specified modifications and exceptions.