DIMAPUR, AUGUST 20 (MExN): The Tirap, Changlang and Longding People’s Forum (TCLPEF) today stated that while the Nagas of Tirap-Changlang and Longding are not against integration of all the Naga areas, they however “will also not oppose if a separate solution for Tirap-Changlang and Longding is granted.”
In a press statement, the TCLPEF President, N Changmi noted that the Tirap-Changlang and Longding areas of Auranachal Pradesh, which is home to Tangsa Naga, Tutsa Naga, Nocte Naga, Wancho Naga, Ollo Naga or collectively also known as Tangshang Naga is one of the most neglected Naga areas bordering Myanmar.
“Tirap-Changlang and Longding because of its remoteness and inaccessibility compounded with poor and unequal distribution of funds have been left neglected for long,” it lamented. It informed that the maximum fund earmarked in TCL under Department of Tirap-Changlang and Longding (DoTCL) till 2016 was only Rs. 25 Crore, “whereas the exploding news article as claimed by NTC and published in the local media that, the present Nagaland state has withdrawn and utilised a whopping amount of Rs. 2335 crores for public distribution and infrastructural projects within 1 year from April 2016 to March 2017 by only 11 departments is astonishingly jaw dropping.”
“One can well imagine and understand the disparity created among the Naga family in the last more than 5 (five) decades after we were placed under different states,” the forum observed.
It further stated that the “economic and political situation of Nagas of the erstwhile Tuensang Hill district, now Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire and Longleng which became a part of Nagaland from NEFA leaving Tirap Frontier Tract now Tirap, Changlang and Longding behind, does not seem to be quite impressive.”
“Their demand for a ‘Frontier Nagaland’ must be the result of lesser attention being given to them in the present Nagaland state,” it postulated.
“In addition to that, some Naga political groups and civil societies had also categorically and repeatedly appealed for a ‘best acceptable and honourable political solution’ for the ‘people of Nagaland or mainland Nagaland’ to the GOI at various levels. They have clearly expressed their desire for an exclusive solution for themselves; indicating that, they will not risk to shoulder our responsibility,” the TCLPEF said.
After sacrificing for years and suffering beyond tolerance in various forms, the forum stated that the people of the area also “don’t want that any solution to the Indo-Naga issue in TCL area should be like, jumping from a frying pan to a fire.”
Looking back, it rued that “no sincere and honest efforts were ever made to reach us by any successive governments of Nagaland or the civil societies after 1963 till date.” “Neither did they ever try to enquire or do an reality check as a Naga brothers and sisters,” it lamented.
