6 Northeastern Districts Had Zero Voter Turnout in Lok Sabha Election

All Candidates Withdraw Nomination from Upcoming Local Polls

By L. Zam Khan Muan Ngaihte

Newsreel Asia Insight #257
June 20, 2024

Residents of six districts in a northeast Indian state abstained from voting in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and have announced a boycott of the upcoming local elections scheduled for June 26, marking a profound statement against what is perceived as a long-standing governmental neglect.

These districts—Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator and Tuensang—are in Nagaland. The decision to boycott elections is driven by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), which is demanding the creation of a separate “Frontier Nagaland Territory” (FNT), carved out of Nagaland.

The ENPO called for an “indefinite total shutdown” across Eastern Nagaland just a day before the Lok Sabha elections, leading to zero voter turnout in these districts, as reported by ThePrint. The organisation has also influenced a significant withdrawal of all electoral nominations from these areas for the forthcoming local elections, according to The Telegraph.

Tensions heightened on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections, marked by incidents such as the alleged house arrest of Nagaland’s Health Minister, Paiwang Konyak, allegedly by ENPO members.

In a letter to the Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer on April 1, ENPO referred to the “Chenmoho Resolution,” declaring an unwavering commitment to abstain from all central and state elections until their demands for the FNT are met. The resolution was passed at a meeting held at Chenmoho village in Mon district in February.

On the ground, the impact of the boycott was visually evident, with social media posts depicting deserted polling stations. Community solidarity with ENPO’s directives was evident during the recent withdrawal of nominations for the June 26 local elections, particularly in Tuensang and Noklak districts.

In response to a show cause notice served by from the Chief Electoral Officer about the shutdown, ENPO described it as a “voluntary initiative” by the people and denied any coercion.

The call for a separate territory stems from grievances that have been accumulating since 2010, with the ENPO arguing that the eastern part of Nagaland has been consistently marginalised in terms of development and political attention.

This demand could significantly impact the ongoing desire for Naga sovereignty, initiated in the 1950s by the Naga National Congress (NNC), formed in 1946. The movement was marked by a strong desire for an independent Naga nation, as evidenced by a vote where 99% of participants supported independence at the time. The Naga leadership unilaterally declared “independence” on Aug. 14, 1947, the eve of India’s independence. This declaration, which has not been recognised effectively, is commemorated annually as “Naga Independence Day.”

The quest for independence led to armed insurgency and conflicts between Naga insurgents and Indian security forces. The movement for a unified Naga homeland, referred to as “Greater Nagalim,” aims to include all Naga-inhabited areas across several states and even parts of Myanmar.

Over the years, the NNC’s influence has waned, particularly after the signing of the Shillong Accord in 1975, which caused a split within the organisation. Some members accepted the terms of the Accord, which involved laying down arms and accepting the Indian Constitution, while others, dissatisfied with the lack of provisions for Naga sovereignty, broke away to form new groups like the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN).

The ENPO’s demand for a separate state is different from the broader Greater Nagalim movement. While Greater Nagalim seeks to unify all Naga-inhabited areas, ENPO’s focus is on addressing issues of marginalisation and underdevelopment in Eastern Nagaland by establishing a separate administrative region.

ENPO’s demand for a separate Eastern Nagaland could potentially shift focus from Greater Nagalim to more localised issues of development and governance, and potentially lead to internal conflicts within the Naga political landscape.