Frontier Nagaland Territory offers India a strategic alternative

In a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape, the call for the establishment of the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) marks a pivotal moment for India and the South East Asian region.

- DR. ANIRUDDHA BABAR

With the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO) advocating for constitutional recognition and legislative, executive, and financial autonomy under Article 371 (A), this movement goes beyond regional governance.

It represents a transformative opportunity for India to reimagine its borders, strengthen strategic ties with neighbouring Myanmar, and enhance its influence in a region increasingly shaped by external powers.

The Frontier Nagaland Territory could become a critical linchpin, uniting local aspirations for self-governance with broader goals of socio-political and economic justice, regional development, national security, and diplomacy at the heart of an evolving Indo-Pacific.

The call for the creation of the Frontier Nagaland Territory (FNT) by the Eastern Naga people, led by the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO), represents more than an administrative shift within India's governance framework.

It holds significant geopolitical implications for South East Asia, particularly in the context of Indo-Myanmar relations.

Situated on India's northeastern frontier and bordering Myanmar, Eastern Nagaland remains one of the nation's most remote and underdeveloped regions, burdened by considerable socioeconomic challenges, severe development deficits, and a deep sense of marginalisation among its people.

Meeting the aspirations for a distinct Frontier Nagaland Territory would fulfill long-standing local demands while reshaping South-East Asia's strategic landscape.

The establishment of FNT could enable India to safeguard the constitutional rights of the local population, reinforce ties with Myanmar through innovative and constructive collaboration between the FNT and Myanmar's Naga Self-Administered Zone (NSAZ), and affirm India's commitment to justice, inclusivity, stability, and progress in these sensitive border areas.