Residents of the Ralan and Yanmhon areas conducted a protest march from Liphanyan and Tsuchanben villages, on June 6, expressing resentment against allegations of illegal mining leveled by Assam authorities. (Morung Photo)
CSOs express resentment through peaceful protest
Morung Express News
Liphanyan, Wokha | June 6
Residents in Nagaland’s Wokha district bordering Assam’s Golaghat district have countered allegations of illegal mining leveled against them by the Assam government authorities. Civil society leaders from the Ralan and Yanmhon areas held that contrary to recent claims from the Assam side, the excavation of boulders in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) was initiated by Assam authorities under the cover of a central government scheme.
Speaking at a press conference in Liphanyan, following a peaceful protest rally, on June 6, leaders from the Ralan Area Lotha Hoho (RALH), and Yanmhon Area Public Organisation (YAPO) stated that the mining activities were authorised by the Assam Forest Department in 2022. The protest march was carried out under the banner of the area’s Joint Coordination Committee (JCC).
They alleged that the “Amrit Sarovar” scheme was implemented under the patronage of the Sarupathar MLA. “Under the name of this ‘Amrit Sarovar’ scheme, they issued permits for nine fisheries (ponds),” said Tsenjamo Lotha, co-convenor of the JCC. While stating that a few of these fall in the Liphanyan village area, Lotha said that instead of using the funds for the projected purpose, earth was excavated and boulders extracted and supplied to the Assam side. He questioned how an allegedly development project was permitted on disputed land under adjudication, and demanded that the Assam administration investigate who executed the project.
RALH President CS Ovung rejected reports on social media labeling local Nagas as the “hill mafia” and “illegal miners.” He cited “permit records,” which trace the activity back to the Assam Forest Department. “They are the ones who started the issue, and then now they are blaming the Nagas,” Ovung said.
To protest these developments and a proposed unilateral plantation drive by Assam, residents of the Ralan and Yanmhon areas marched from Liphanyan to Tsuchanben village. Protesters held placards under the watchful eyes of the CRPF posted in the DAB. The rally culminated outside a makeshift camp of the Assam Forest Department, which was guarded by armed Forest personnel. The building housing the camp was originally an Assam government primary school, which was shut down during the eviction of allegedly illegal immigrants” from the DAB in July 2025.
According to the JCC leaders, in the lead up to World Environment Day, Assam authorities were scheduled to plant 2,50,000 saplings in the DAB, clearing land for 5,000 saplings in the Hatidubi area, close to Tsuchanben village. They claimed that this was done under the direction of Sarupathar MLA Biswajit Phukan but was temporarily halted.
They objected to the deployment of Assam Forest and Assam Police personnel in the DAB, stating that it violated the status quo pending in the Supreme Court. “This is the DAB. They have no right to conduct independent patrolling here,” Ovung stated, adding that the CRPF, as the designated neutral force, should handle all patrolling in the disputed belt to prevent law and order problems.
RALH General Secretary KL Moyo stated that any development in the DAB must be handled through bilateral channels. “Unilateral decisions taken by Assam in this area disturb the peaceful co-existence,” Moyo said, calling on both state governments to resolve the dispute either through the Supreme Court or bilateral negotiations.
In July 2025, the Assam government had conducted a massive eviction operation, proclaimed as a drive to remove alleged illegal immigrants in the Uriamghat area bordering the Ralan area. It was dubbed as a joint exercise between two neighbouring states — Assam and Nagaland — embroiled in a decades-old unresolved border dispute.
While the situation calmed down afterward, the leaders reported disturbances in the DAB’s Sector B, which covers the Rengma Reserve Forest. They claimed that Nagas entering the forest are reportedly facing threats of arrest, which leaders warned could disrupt the peaceful co-existence of the border residents.
YAPO President N Thungdemo Tungoe recalled that after the July 2026 evictions, leaders from both states had assured the public that the status quo would be maintained, promising an out-of-court settlement after the general elections. He noted that despite the completion of the elections, no progress has been made, causing distress among border residents.
Nchumbemo, an 80-year-old elder from the Ralan area, laid emphasis on the shared history of the Ahom and Naga peoples, referencing ancient treaties and royal marriages, such as that of Ahom King Gadadhar Singha and Dalimi. He stated that the border had never been formally partitioned. “Historically, the boundary between Assam and Nagaland has never been formally partitioned,” Nchumbemo said. He urged Chief Ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Neiphiu Rio to negotiate a settlement.
