Seeks amendment to State of Nagaland Act 1962
Dimapur, Feb. 26: The United Naga Tribes' Association on Border Areas (UNTABA) has urged the government of Nagaland to take up a resolution in the next state assembly session on March 21 to pave way for a resolution of the protracted boundary dispute between the government of Nagaland and Assam.
The UNTABA issued a statement on Sunday. It stated in good length: “...the government of Nagaland is yet to act upon the demand of the UNTABA for adoption of resolution in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly seeking the Parliament of India to consider for amendment in the ‘State of Nagaland Act’ 1962, Section 3 & 4 for effecting necessary amendment in accordance to the Points No. 12 & 13 of the ‘16 Points Agreement’ of 1960 so as to amalgamate the traditional and historical Naga lands in Assam to the present state of Nagaland,” the sttaemnet explained.
“Now, as the new dispensation had taken over the government of Nagaland having more or less the same leadership, we strongly urge the government of Nagaland to take up the proposed resolution in the scheduled assembly session to be held on 21st. March 2017 adopt the same so as to pave the way for resolution of the protracted boundary issue between the Government of Nagaland and Assam.”
The UNTABA stated that it had been “sincerely exploring all possible initiatives” to bring about a resolution to the vexed boundary dispute between Nagaland and Assam.
“Towards this end, we have had extensive consultation with all the stag holders including central and state leaders, other agencies, legal luminaries and had attended the last consultative meetings called by the government on many occasions,” the organisation stated.
The UNTABA declared that the boundary dispute needs to be settled by a political decision because “Nagaland as the 16th. state in the Union of India was created based on political agreement keeping in abeyance the boundary demarcation to be undertaken ‘in due course of time’ in accordance to constitutional provisions of Article 3 & 4 of the Constitution of India.”
Keeping this serious issue of the Naga people, the UNTABA had conducted extensive campaign with the Government of Nagaland including the Chief Minister, Members of the Cabinets, Members of the Parliament, Chairman DAN and President NPF of the previous Government.
Also, the organisation issued a copy of a letter addressed to the chief minister requesting that the state adopt a resolution seeking the Parliament to consider for amendment in the ‘State of Nagaland Act' 1962, Section 3 & 4 in the August house of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
Further, the organisation demanded that the government “pursue vigorously” implementation of points No. 12 and 13 of the 16 Points Agreement of 1960 to amalgamate the “traditional and historical Naga lands” in Assam to the present state of Nagaland; consider filing a “suitable petition with the Supreme Court seeking implementation of 9-Point Agreement of 1947 for the amalgamation, vis-a-vis bringing back the traditional and historical Naga lands in Assam to Nagaland as agreed between the then Emissaries of the Government of India and the Naga people (NNC).”
The group also asked the government to direct the authorities in concern to “maintain clear Naga-Ahom traditional and political boundary in all official documents since the stand of the Naga people is no more or less than its historical records of the time immemorial.”
