Rengma Hoho hails eviction drive, calls for afforestation

Says more than 3,600 acres reclaimed in Rengma forest

DIMAPUR — The Rengma Hoho has expressed appreciation to the governments of Nagaland and Assam for the successful joint eviction drive recently carried out in Rengma Reserved Forest.

In a press release, the organisation stated that the initiative had reclaimed over 3,600 acres of encroached land in the first phase, followed by an additional 64 acres in the second phase.

It went on to describe the effort as a “historic step” in safeguarding the ecological integrity and cultural heritage of Rengma people.

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It pointed out that the Rengma and Nambor Reserved Forests are among the border region’s last remaining rainforests and play a vital role in supporting rainfall patterns, maintaining soil fertility, replenishing groundwater, and stabilising river systems essential for agriculture, drinking water, and biodiversity.

The hoho cautioned that without urgent protection and restoration, the ecosystem could face collapse within the next two to three decades, leading to desertification, droughts, soil erosion, loss of pollinators, and depletion of medicinal and food resources, in turn impacting agriculture, livelihoods, and public health.

Calling for a time-bound afforestation programme, it urged the two state governments to actively involve local tribal communities.

It maintained that the Rengma, Western Sumi, and Lotha Hoho must be entrusted with custodianship of the restoration process, as their joint participation would reflect the collective wisdom and tradition of peaceful coexistence among Naga tribes.

The organisation also called for similar protection measures for other rainforest reserves in the Rengma Hills—such as Nambor, Kaliani, Diphu, Diagrung, Doldoli, and Lumding—while reiterating that the reclaimed areas should not be resettled by any community.