NSCN/GPRN (Niki) accuses Assam of land grab under guise of evictions

DIMAPUR — The NSCN/GPRN faction led by Niki Sumi has condemned what it described as a “well-planned and precisely executed” move by Assam government to occupy Naga ancestral lands under the guise of eviction drives.

In a press statement issued on Sunday, the group alleged that successive governments in Assam have used the pretext of the so-called “Disturb Area Belt” (DAB), citing old colonial demarcations, to justify the settlement of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in areas bordering Nagaland.

The statement asserted that these policies were aimed at systematically encroaching upon Naga ancestral territory.

"The Assam government has double-crossed the Nagaland government by the violating terms and is occupying Naga ancestral areas by permanently stationing Assam police in the so-called Disturb Area Belt,” it stated, accusing Assam of using the immigrant issue as a cover for land encroachment.

The group further criticised Nagaland government’s response, saying that it only sends political leaders for brief visits when tensions flare—leaving border areas “unattended and unprotected.”

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“It seems Nagaland government’s only answer to Assam government has been visits by politicians with a few bodyguards posing for lens/photo-ops,” it added.

Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the outfit called for enhanced security deployment along the border, including the use of Nagaland Police, Home Guards, and Village Guards.

“Nagaland government seems to be more focused and geared up on creating more specialised teams (SOT, STF, etc.) to suppress and fight its own Naga people than using the resources at its disposal for protection and defence of Nagas and their lands,” it alleged.

The Naga group questioned whether Nagaland government is trying to exist “only as a digital state without geographical land.”

Calling for a “paradigm shift,” it urged the state authorities to prioritise land defence and end what it described as a long-standing policy paralysis.

It also appealed to all Naga political groups and the general public to actively take responsibility in safeguarding Naga ancestral territories.