MLA Kikon slams Assam government ‘unilateral decision’ on eviction drive

KOHIMA — NPF MLA Achumbemo Kikon on Thursday said that the Assam government cannot take “unilateral decision” to evict illegal migrants along the inter-state border.

When the areas are declared as disputed areas, the Government of Assam cannot take a unilateral decision to evict the illegal immigrants, the legislator stated in the Nagaland Assembly.

Kikon alleged said the areas where eviction took place were filled with natural resources and “Assam government is interested to take over all this land after eviction.”

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Nagaland has cooperated on the eviction part because it is about evicting the illegal immigrants and would continue to cooperate. But as far as the land issue is concerned, it has to be settled properly and through historical records, he added.

According to Kikon, if ground reality is considered, the Government of Assam allegedly pushed all illegal immigrants towards the Assam-Nagaland border to settle in the reserve forests.

“Since this boundary dispute is still left unresolved, the Assam government cannot swiftly claim that all the plain areas belong to the Assam and the entire hill areas belong to the Nagas. That is the interpretation they are putting forward,” he added.    Supporting his claim, the legislator cited historical records and agreements that were made in the pasts, including the 1965 Agreement reached at between the then chief ministers of the two states, the 16-Point Agreement (Clause 12), Nagas’ refusal to accept the 1925 notification demarcating boundary between the two states, and the State of Nagaland Act 1962.

The histories have been recorded in black and white and the “Assam government cannot twist that these reserve forests belong to them,” he asserted.

Kikon further claimed that the reserve forests in question originally belong to Nagaland but were arbitrarily included in Assam's map during the partition without Nagaland's knowledge. This issue has remained unresolved even after Nagaland gained statehood.

He appealed to the state government to established police outpost in the border areas saying that anytime, anything can happen.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, in his response to the query on the matter raised by the MLA, stated that eight villages under Wokha district and six villages under Niuland district have been affected during the course of the eviction.

The two states signed a total of four interim agreements on Assam-Nagaland border issue in the year 1972. As per the agreement, Naga settlements in the DAB are not to be disturbed and status quo is to be maintained, Patton stated.

He further clarified that the question of reclaiming of evicted land does not arise as the matter is sub-judice and the state governments are required to maintain status quo. However, he assured that wherever in the border areas police outposts are required, he would examine the same and take appropriate action on this.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio also informed the house that setting up of two police stations is in the process along the border.

He said that the state do not agree to 1925 map as it was done without the consultation of Naga Hills people and has to be reviewed. The matter is in the Supreme Court.

While the people cannot continue to use the map, he said wherever there are permanent Naga villages; markings should be done for more clarity. Failing to do so would be a failure on the part of the people.

Minister Jacob Zhimomi also raised concerns over the majority of Dimapur district, 100% Niuland district, and 50% of Chümoukedima showing Assam on Google and GIS mapping.