In the wake of a total absence of voters in the initial phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections across six eastern Nagaland districts, the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) has decided to terminate the indefinite comprehensive shutdown they had imposed in these state districts.

The organisation conveyed in an announcement that they have discontinued the comprehensive shutdown in these districts, effective immediately on Saturday. They also expressed remorse for any inconvenience caused during the shutdown period.

“The ongoing comprehensive shutdown enforced by the Eastern Nagaland Public Emergency Control Room, based in Tuensang Hq, beginning at 6 pm on April 18, 2024, has been officially lifted, effective immediately. We Apologise for Any Disruptions,” the statement stated.

Yesterday, election officials at 738 polling stations across the six districts – Kiphire, Longleng, Mon, Noklak, Shamator, and Tuensang – waited for more than nine hours. However, not a single one of the approximately 4 lakh voters from the region turned up due to the call to refrain from participating in the electoral process issued by ENPO, in support of their demand for a distinct ‘Frontier Nagaland Territory’.

In a different area, a voter turnout of approximately 57 per cent was documented for the solitary Lok Sabha seat in the state, which went to the polls under rigorous security measures on Friday. The 20 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) representing the Eastern Nagaland region also refrained from exercising their voting rights, responding to the call to ‘abstain from voting’ issued by ENPO, the paramount body of seven tribes from these six districts.

In a show cause notification to ENPO, the Chief Electoral Officer of Nagaland, R. Vyasan, hinted at taking suitable action under the Indian Penal Code due to the ‘abstention’ appeal made by the tribal organisation. ENPO stated that their public notification declaring the shutdown aimed to mitigate potential disruptions by anti-social elements.

ENPO had announced the indefinite shutdown in these six districts starting from 6 pm on April 18, more than 12 hours prior to the commencement of polling for the sole Lok Sabha seat in the State. This announcement followed the resolution of the supreme bodies and other non-governmental organisations of the seven major tribes inhabiting these districts to boycott the polls, protesting the failure of the Central government to establish the Frontier Nagaland Territory.