New Delhi: At a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is projecting the opposition Congress as a party working against the interests of people, a senior BJP leader in faraway Nagaland has publicly praised former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for protecting the Nagas through Article 371A of the constitution.
Praise for the country’s first prime minister from a BJP leader is uncommon due to the party’s national leadership under Modi taking a stance of questioning his policies every now and then, and often going to the extent of projecting him as accountable for the shortfalls of the present government.
However, this May 1, speaking at the celebration of Maotsu, the main festival of the Ao Naga community, state BJP leader Imkong L. Imchen thanked Nehru for giving the Article 371A to Nagaland.
The five-time MLA called it the “foresight of Nehru” to have “incorporated Article 371A into the Constitution”, citing it as “a response to concerns over religious and traditional practices of Nagas.”
“Imchen praised Nehru’s vision for recognising and safeguarding the cultural identity of Nagas who adhere to their traditional customs,” reported the Nagaland Post, adding, “He emphasised that Nehru’s inclusion of provisions in the Constitution demonstrated a deep respect for the diverse religious and traditional practices across India.”
The news report said the BJP state leader “also stressed the importance of acknowledging and respecting such initiatives, despite any differences of views with the activities of the Congress party towards the Naga people.”
Apprehensions about removal of Article 371A from the constitution are rife among the Nagas after the Modi government read down the Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and turned it into a Union territory from a full-fledged state. Talks have been on with the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) for some time now over the bifurcation of Nagaland in support of the demand of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) for either a separate state or a Union territory named Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT). Residents in five border districts of Nagaland that come under the areas forwarding the FNT demand had stayed away from voting in these general elections in response to a call of the ENPO. As per ENPO leadership, the call was in protest against the Modi government for not sticking to its promise to grant them a separate administration before the 2024 elections.
While Nagaland is protected by Article 371A of the constitution, Sikkim was added to the Indian Union in 1975 through the special Article 371F. The rest of the north-eastern states too have special provisions under the same Article (371) of the constitution. In the April 19 elections held in Sikkim for the lone Lok Sabha seat, and the 32-member state assembly, fear over the abrogation of Article 371F was one of the poll issues.
