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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Aug. 5 (EMN): Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday unanimously adopted a three-point resolution on the inter-state border issue after the matter was deliberated at length on the floor of the House on the last day of the monsoon session.
Participating in the debate, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio observed that ‘when it comes to the border issue, it is the smallest though very important. If people are not united and fight to protect their land from encroachment, Nagaland would become a king without a kingdom’.
‘Assam has increased its police force in the disputed area over the decades, which is in contrast to the agreements made between the two states. When last assessed, there were 53 police stations identified,’ he informed.
Narrating the recent resolution signed between chief secretaries of the two states on July 31, Rio said that Assam CS had brought conditions to sign the resolution. The conditions included seeking protection of Dessoi valley, watchtower be constructed, forest guards be kept, farmers hut be disbanded etc.
Upon learning the conditions, the CM spoke with his Assamese counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma and asked him to do away with the conditions, to which it was done.
The resolution was then signed, he said, adding that ‘every agreement, unless carefully done, could go against us’.
Border Affairs Advisor Mhathung Yanthan said that since the formation of Nagaland state, there have been frequent border disputes between Assam and Nagaland on the inter-state border.
He informed that seven interim agreements had been signed between Assam and Nagaland but the former had ‘blatantly’ violated them all these years.
‘All sorts of new settlements in the disputed area belt have been allowed by Assam government over the decades. It has taken a prejudiced stand by carrying such eviction only on Naga settlers. As a result, Nagaland has lost maximum land to Assam particularly in Doyang and Kakadanga RFs in Merapani and Changpang area,’ he said.
Assam and Nagaland share a long border stretching a distance of 512 km, covering six districts -- Peren, Dimapur, Wokha, Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon. The long unresolved border is a perpetual problem often leading to unwanted physical confrontation.
‘The centre is showing keen interest to resolve the boundary issues in the Northeast and the desire to settle all border disputes before August 2022. With strong political will of the Central government, we are positive that the protracted border issue between Assam and Nagaland will be resolved amicably soon,’ he added.
The state government is equally serious and determined to solve the intractable border imbroglio between Assam and Nagaland, he said. Towards this end, a high-level consultative committee on border affairs has been constituted recently under the chairmanship of state Chief Minister consisting of members who represent inter-state border areas, including senior bureaucrats and retired government officials.
While welcoming the recent decision to engage satellite imaging to demarcate boundaries of the NE states, Yanthan stated that GIS map was only a scientific tool, which provides better data to enable one to make informed decisions. Boundary demarcation can only be done on the ground after mutual agreement is made between the disputing parties, he added.
Leader of NPF Legislature Party, TR Zeliang stated that the imbroglio had to be resolved amicably outside the court. Mutual co-operation and people-to-people contact is most essential ‘if we are to solve the matter’, he said, adding that total dependence on the Supreme Court alone might not bring the matter to its logical conclusion anytime soon.
He suggested that the Assam-Nagaland border issue be amicably settled outside the court by involving local communities from both sides.
Senior NPF legislator Imkong L Imchen initiated the discussion on Nagaland-Assam border on urgent public importance.
He suggested that a cabinet sub-committee be constituted to go into the details of the documents and review all the agreements entered with Assam from 1972 until July 31, 2021 with the retired bureaucrats and others as members.
Besides, many other members from the ruling bench and opposition bench participated in the discussion.