Call for unity on rights around oil exploration

MLA of 40 Bhandari A/C, Mmhonlumo Kikon, addresses a gathering at Changpang in Wokha district, calling for unity on rights around oil exploration. It was attended by leaders of village and regional bodies with proven oil reserves in their respective zones. (Morung Photo)

‘Oil is not wealth, it has dirtied our environment and the government’

Aheli Moitra
Wokha | April 11 

As oil continues to seep out of the ground, the people of Changpang in Wokha remain sensitive to the issue. Following a call for the rights of the people to their natural resources, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) shut shop in Changpang and Tssori in the Bhandari assembly constituency (A/C) of Wokha in 1994. Oil spillage from the abandoned oil wells and rigs continue to hinder farming practices on the land; health hazards remain numerous, the government oblivious. 

In lieu, the Chakroma Public Organisation (CPO), Zeliangrong Public Organisation (ZPO), Northern Sumi Hoho, Kohima Kyong Hoho and Kyong Gazetted Officers’ Union, at a meeting held today at Changpang, spearheaded by MLA of 40 Bhandari A/C, Mmhonlumo Kikon, called for unity in dealing with the rights of people with regards to the exploitation of natural resources in Nagaland. 

“We are very angry—the government has misguided us for 18 years,” asserted Mhao Odyuo, President of the Changpang Land Owner’s Union (CLOU), at the meeting, attended by land owners, elders, citizens from surrounding villages, officials from the Department of Geology and Mining, and leaders of village and regional bodies. “For us, oil is not wealth. It has dirtied our environment and the government.” 

In the same breath, Old Tssori Land Owner’s Union President, T. Amos Kikon said, “we are allergic to the issue of oil.” The two unions have been asking for the rights of the land owners, with help from the Kyong Hoho, student bodies and women’s groups, for nearly two decades now—the issue has been brought to the level of the Chief Minister but no positive action has been taken for the people. 

This led leaders like Razouvotuo Chatsu, President of CPO to suggest, “Whether there is lots of oil or not, we, the landowners, have to work in unity.” 12 members of the ZPO present, headed by its President N. Azu Newmai, at the meeting gave a similar response as did the Northern Sumi Hoho, the apex body of 12 recognized Sumi villages in Wokha district, headed by its President Zalipu Sumi. All their regions are said to have proven oil reserves. 

“Changpang and Tssori are not the only places that have oil in Nagaland. In an era of globalization, where oil plays a vital role in remaking politics and boundaries, we need to be clear on how we assert our rights,” said Mmhonlumo Kikon. “Nagaland suffers from weak economic health. Oil is a key natural resource which could change this, but 18 years after oil exploration was stopped, how do we begin?” Kikon questioned. “Only when there is harmony between those on the land with oil and government policies can the oil issue move forward.” 

In a representation to the MLA, the CLOU, on behalf of Changpang and Old Tssori, has asked for the initiation of “awareness on rehabilitation and resettlement of our local inhabitants near the Oil Fields and to ensure the resumption on the basis of Free, Prior and Informed Consent of the local community.” They have also asked for ensuring of a separate agreement signed between the land owners and the operating company to facilitate basic amenities and smooth conduct in times of emergency. 

“The rights of the landowners should be respected both by the company and the government. There can be no solution to the restart of oil exploration in Nagaland without this,” reiterated Kikon. 

In spite of the clamor for exploration of oil, the Bhandari A/C remains underdeveloped. “This constituency has contributed Rs. 33 crore to the state exchequer but what are we getting in return?” asked Kikon. “For any progress, we demand what belongs to us under the constitution of India,” he stated. This will become essential as 21 companies have expressed interest in the exploration of oil in Nagaland. “We hope the most stable companies are given rights to explore but the rights of the people need to be respected no matter what,” Kikon affirmed.