Fears State may lose huge stretch of land if demarcation is based on 1925 notification
A Staff Reporter
Dimapur, October 5
United Naga Tribes Association on Border Area (UNTABA) is prepared to file writ petition and PIL simultaneously at any opportune time urging the Supreme Court to direct Government of India to effect necessary amendment of 13th Amendment Act or State of Nagaland Act 1962 for demarcation of inter-state boundary between Assam and Nagaland according to historical facts. UNTABA would also seek compensation from the Government of India and oil companies for exploitation of natural resources such as extraction of oil, deforestation of Nagaland traditional forests and establishment of tea estates in ‘Naga territories’ since the advent of British colonial regime.
Interacting with media persons, UNTABA chairman Hukavi T Yepthomi said the Association would demand demarcation of inter-state boundary basing on 9 Point Agreement and 16 Point Agreement.
He expressed displeasure with the indifferent attitude of the State government to expedite the process for settlement of the inter-state boundary issue. Besides, the State government was not forthcoming to the border issue initiated by UNTABA.
“It is time to raise the issue on the right perspective, if not now when will it happen?” Hukavi asked.
It may be mentioned here that Assam had filed Original Civil Suit No. 2 in 1988 in the Supreme Court against the Minister of Home Affairs, Chief Election Commission and Government of Nagaland insisting the ‘Naga Hill District of 1925 Notification’ as the basis of Inter-state boundary demarcation. Since then, as Respondent No. 3 to the case the State Government has been attending the litigation process in the Supreme Court allegedly incurring huge expenditure to the tune of Rs 22 crores.
Supplementing Hukavi T Yepthomi, UNTABA general secretary Imsumongba Pongen said with civil suit in force, people living in border areas are directly affected. He viewed that unless the issue is settled basing on historical perspectives, tension along the border would continue to prevail.
UNTABA has been contesting that the ‘Naga Hill District of 1925 Notification’ was not the original Naga hill district and insisted that the erstwhile notification by the British government of India in 1866-67 and rectified in 1875 should be amalgamated in the present Nagaland state.
UNTABA maintained that arbitration on inter-state boundary demarcation basing on 1925 Notification would result in loss of about 5000 square miles Naga lands to Assam.
