Dimapur, July 24 (MExN): In a statement that would be viewed as another buttress to Nagaland government’s growing image as a “weak” government, the Western Sumi Kukami Hoho has pulled up the state for being docile on the Assam-Nagaland border issue. The state government’s not doing enough is criticized and seen as a reflection of it’s apathy to the border areas, the hoho today said in a statement.
In fact, the Western Sumi Kukami Hoho remarked, Tarun Gogoi’s Assam government is hardening its stance to be strong on “Nagaland border encroachment.” Ironically for Nagaland government – instead of being “strong” – even the bare few border magistrates and a lone NAP deployment at the border, are being withdrawn for whatever reasons. In a brief statement today, the Western Sumi Kukami Hoho asked the state government to immediately redeploy Border Magistrates at Homeland, Haldibari and Uriamghat which were withdrawn by the government sometime ago.
“It is not wise for the government of Nagaland to remove the Border Magistrates from these areas, when the government of Assam is making statements and taking measures to strengthen its policy on Assam-Nagaland border issue,” the hoho said through its president Apeto Assumi.
On July 20, 2009 Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi said during a debate in the Assam state assembly that the Assam government will take a strong stand on “Nagaland border encroachment.” And consequently it has been initiating stronger measures.
But Nagaland government’s story is a far cry. “Instead on taking stronger measures, the Nagaland government removed officers posted in the three border areas and giving the charges of the three places to a single EAC who is also holding the charge of EAC Niuland,” the hoho remarked.
The village chiefs’ hoho is of the view that every Border Magistrate shoulders immense responsibility of maintaining law and order in their respective border areas. “…how can a single EAC handle the pressure of three places while also having additional charge? The hoho feels that by removing of Border Magistrates shows that the government of Nagaland has least botheration for the people living in border areas,” the hoho said.
Further, a Nagaland Armed Police (NAP) deployment stationed at Rengmapani was also removed by the Nagaland state government and never reinstated. On the other hand, Assam government has hardened its stand on the Assam-Nagaland border issue, the hoho said. “In order to safeguard the interest of the Naga people living border areas, the WSKH appeals to the state government to immediately re-deploy the officers in three border areas,” the hoho said.
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