The naked truth of Assam–Nagaland border

Thepfulhouvi Solo [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he ASSAM-NAGALAND BORDER DISPUTE IS UNREPAIRABLE; IT CAN ONLY BE REPLACED. Nagaland Government failed to develop any inspiring idea to pursue for the solution of the matter besides ritually blaming the Centre of not doing its share, stating its views without any conviction. It distracted its thrust on the Border issue due to its excess love for Development mosty. The State appeared trying to postpone the Border Settlement until the conclusion of the interminable ‘On Going’ Indo-Naga Political Talk. The State woke up from its slumber only when the Centre gave an urgent wake up call. The Assam–Nagaland Border matter is beyond Repair; it can only be Replaced ANEW, the Replacement must be of Genuine Quality, not Nakli.Assam–Nagaland Border Dispute cannot be settled in the old conventional style of contesting and accusing each other every time the States meet. Nagaland brings a litany of Points accusing Assam for every problem in the Border. Nagaland accuses Assam with its Fore Finger; three other Fingers point at us ourselves. Assam does the same; it cannot realize illegalities can come also from their side. Traditional process of blame Game cannot bring Solution to the Border. Solution to ASSAM–NAGALAND BORDER PROBLEM requires a NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH. It needs a completely new approach outside the commonly followed Path: The solution should be based on a New Attitude of: A. Give & Take, B. in Mutual Consent, on the basis of: C. Ground Realities, and D. in Peace. A Settlement between Assam and Nagaland on these Principles would provide positive incentive for settlement of Border Troubles between Assam and its other neighbors; Nagaland would have nothing to lose. The Problem can never be decided by: • Legal Imperative or • History alone. Assam may expect the Supreme Court would give a Judgment supporting Assam’s Stand. It may be so, but Assam cannot practically reclaim all disputed areas in the ground, a majority under occupation of the Nagas. If the Case is decided in the Court, it may for ever destroy the potential settlement on mutual consent in Peace between the two Neighboring States for all time to come. BROADLY SPEAKING: TODAY NAGALAND HAS LOST MUCH OF THE RESPECT & GOODWILL FROM ALL OF ITS NEIGHBORING STATES! WE ARE NOT ‘WELCOME’ IN ASSAM: We are not even welcome in Karbi Anglong any more now. We purchased lands there but move to expand them rightly more often wrongly! HOW CAN the Chief Minister REVERSE THIS TREND OF ATTITUDE IN OUR NEIGHBORS? This is very serious matter. Nagas are known for their Hospitality, Joviality, Generosity, Camaraderie, and easy to get along with. NAGAS WERE RESPECTED FOR THEIR POLITICAL ACUMEN AND FORESIGHT. The world took the Naga a David against the Indian Goliath for Liberty, Freedom and political Rights of the underdog. When centuries old ancient Meitei Kingdom of Manipur, the Ahom Kingdom in Brahmaputra Valley and many others were losing their Power at the onslaught of the Colonial Power in the 18th Century, Nagas began to developed a CONSCIOUSNESS OF A PEOPLE and began to fight for their political RIGHTS. NAGALAND started the EXAMPLE of State Creation in the North East; other States took the cue and states like Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura got their Statehood with domino effect from Nagaland. And armed Naga Groups gave the incentive to many Separatists Movements in the North East. Nagas Militants sold Arms and gave Trainings to Militants from other States. These armed Militants carried on Terrorist Activities in their own States. Nakedly Speaking, Naga armed Groups were the Mother of all Militancy in the North East. After the emergence of Nagaland as a State: it became proud and turned away from humility. There are numerous instances of Unruly Acts of trigger happy Nagas, while passing through Assam. Convoys of NLG Vehicles from Nagaland often misbehaved in Assam, sometimes they did target shooting at Dogs, Birds, domesticated or not on the Roadside. Speeding Nagaland Vehicles often injured maimed helpless pedestrians in Assam. Then Nagas started Economic Blockades; lately, unacceptable Taxations, Harassments to Transporters, Commuters and Abduction for Ransom on Traders from outside the State. These activities and Incidents created ill will in our Neighboring Assam and Manipur: Nagaland lost the Goodwill from most of its Neighboring States. So much so that today, unnecessary checking harassment of Nagaland Vehicles passing through Assam, arrest of Nagas in disputed areas under this or that allegations, violation of Rules, ECONOMIC BLOCKADE OF NAGALAND put upon Nagaland. But consider: Nagas Blocaded Manipur for 100 days! Many Nagas think Assam is encroaching into Nagaland; the truth is Assam has not intruded into Nagaland even by a square Inch of land. Assam has not encroached inside the Official Map of Nagaland. This is how it happened: Tuensang-Mon was earlier only an AREA, no District or Territory, of NEFA –North Eastern Frontier Agency adjacent to Naga Hills. The Tuesang-Mon Area had clear Boundary differentiated from Naga Hills District. Naga Hills also had a clearly defined Area of a District. Then Naga Hills and Tuensang/Mon Area were amalgamated together to form NHTA (Naga Hills-Tuensang Area). This NHTA was not a State or a Territory, it was only an AREA but it had a clearly defined Boundary. This NHTA then consequently became NAGALAND, 16th State of India by AN Act of NAGALAND passed in the Parliament of India. Thus NAGALAND acquired the Boundary of NHTA. The Boundary of erstwhile NHTA became the boundary of NAGALAND. They are the same. The Map now used in ALL Government Official purposes is the Map of Nagaland and the Boundary in the Map is the Official Boundary of Nagaland. Assam has no claim of any land inside this constitutional boundary of Nagaland. The official Area of Nagaland is 16,579 Square KM; the claimed area included, the area of Nagaland would be much more than the Constitutional Area of 16,579 Square KM. Based on History and Tradition, Nagaland claims the Areas in the foothills beyond its Map boundary and has occupied land outside Nagaland Map in the so-called Disputed Areas. This disputed Area consists mostly of about 10 RESERVED FORESTS; the NAGAS CLAIM AS THEIRS. The Claim the Nagas make may be impertinent in the Constitution, it is not lawful in the Eye of Assam but the Naga Claim is Not for Nothing: Long before Nagaland Claimed the Area, before the Colonial Power took Assam, before the Colonial Administration covered them, the Naga Tribes owned the Land! The Fundamental Question in any land claim is: WHO OWNED THE LAND INITIALLY? Nagaland has other stands -confidential ones- too not necessary for publication here and now. In Assam condition, all Lands belonged to the Ahom Raja initially; subsequently the Colonial Power took over Assam in 1826 by the Supplementary Treaty of Yandaboo. In Nagaland condition, the Land belonged to the People, long before the Colonial Administration, it is today too; areas under the jurisdiction of the Community belong to Land Owners. On Boundary Settlement Issue, the Government have all the Authority to Settle the Boundary in Assam: In Nagaland the Government may settle the Boundary only in Consultation with the Community or the Land Owners. The Government would do well to take this into account when officially the Two States hopefully and mutually settle the Issue. When everything is said and done, IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF NAGALAND AND ASSAM THAT THE BORDER ISSUE IS SETTLED ON THE BASIS OF: I. GIVE & TAKE, II. ON THE BASIS OF GROUND REALITIES, III. IN PEACE, IV. MUTUALLY, V. OUTSIDE THE COURT. And let Nagaland have Friendship with all the Neighboring States for all time to come.