Dimapur, July 5 (MExN): The Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) which has called for resumption of oil exploration and extraction in Nagaland, held meetings with various Lotha based organisations including Lotha Hoho to discuss various issues.
According to a press release from the CNTC Media Cell, it held a consultative meeting with Lotha Hoho on June 29, followed by an interactive meeting with Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation (LLRPO), Bhandari Town Council, Lower Lotha Elders and Officers Forum, Lower Range GB association, Bhandari Town Women Hoho, Yamhon Area Public Organization (YAPO) and Bhandari Town Students Union on June 29. Another interactive meeting with Changpang Oil Field Owners in the presence of LLPRO, Lotha Hoho, Changpang Village Council members and members from Tssori Old was also held on June 30, it said.
Apart from meetings where issues like the exploration of oil in Nagaland, foothill road and Naga solution were discussed, the CNTC, along with the organisations also visited Changpang oil field to take first hand information on the problem faced by the ‘oil bearing land owners,’ the release stated.
Oil exploration
As per the release, CNTC president T Lanu Imchen said that Lothas in particular are losing a lot from non-exploration of oil from their land. Since CNTC can only act as pressure group for resumption of oil operations, he advised the oil bearing villages of Changpang and Tssori, being the first villages in Nagaland to have oil production, that whatever modalities agreed upon should be beneficial to the whole of Nagas.
It said that CNTC general secretary Er Tsungrosan Kithan gave a brief account on the oil issue and reminded the land owners to be aware as differences of opinion would always there but ‘there will be a way out of the situation.’ He maintained that the Lotha Hoho filed the PIL against the regulation of Oil Act by the Government of Nagaland keeping in mind the rights of the landowners in particular and Nagas as a whole. He also requested the landowners to be aware of the content of the tri-partite talks with regard to oil exploration, and informed the attendees about the CNTC’s recent interaction with the General Manager of Oil India Limited (OIL).
CNTC Vice-President meanwhile lamented that the Government of Nagaland was prolonging the extraction and encouraged all the three apex tribal Hohos under CNTC to supplement any demands by CNTC to add more weightage, the release stated.
Explaining about the PIL and related issues, Lotha Hoho Chairman Er Mhondamo Ovung said that the PIL “has been already withdrawn by the LH after written assurance by the government of Nagaland agreeing to amend some rules and regulation mentioned in the ‘Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulations/Rules,’” the release stated.
According to the release, during the interactive meeting, Chairman of Oil Bearing Union of Tssori and Changpang John Kikon requested the CNTC to ponder on Article 371 (A) and the ways forward to utilise the said article for the benefit of Nagas. Kikon also requested CNTC and CSOs for pressuring the government and other parties involved for the resumption of oil exploration and extraction and informed on the tri-partite negotiation between the governments of Nagaland, Assam, and India.
Kikon maintained that since the closure of oil extraction in 1994 till date, no NGOs, CSOs, or the government has taken up any remedial measures to contain the oil spills which posed environment hazards.
“He claimed that landowners were never compensated for the oil bearing areas that have been sealed since the closure of oil extraction. Kikon further said that for negotiation of oil royalty, opinion of all Nagas should be consulted as Changpang and Tssori were not the sole oil bearing areas in Nagaland,” the press release stated.
Earlier, at the interactive meeting between CNTC and Changpang Oil Field Owners, chairman Changpang ONGC, Nzanbemo Yanthan informed the house that the a total of 31 oil wells were drilled by ONGC and out of which 21 wells were oil bearing and two were gas bearing. He also informed the members that ONGC is doing horizontal deviation and said that all land encroachment by Assam took place after the discovery of oil in Changpang and Tssori areas, the CNTC Media Cell stated.
Naga political issue
On the present Naga political scenario, CNTC and LH decided to re-affirm the resolution of the 14 Naga tribes that no tribal hoho should meet any Naga Political group on its own on the Naga Political issue. However, meeting with any political groups should be done jointly by all the 14 Naga tribes, the press release stated.
“Lotha Hoho Chairman Er Mhondamo Ovung suggested that issues relating to Nagas should be initiated and to be decided by CNTC on behalf of the three tribes namely the Lothas, Aos and Sumis,” it further stated.
CNTC president is said to have lamented the “exorbitant taxes levied on its own people by various Naga Political Groups (NPGs) taking advantage of its prolonged talk with Government of India,” while stating that the final solution be signed at the earliest.
Among others, during the interactive meetings, the CNTC officials, stressing on the need for unity among the three tribes, explained on its formation and purpose and also highlighted its participation in various consultations called by the state on issues such as RIIN, ULB, NLTP Act, etc and Naga political issue as well as political governance in Nagaland.
With regard to the foothill road, CNTC president T Lanu Imchen highlighted the recent amount sanctioned by government of Nagaland and said that the maintenance was stopped for time being owing to unsuitable weather conditions but would resume when the weather favours. “He encouraged the Lotha that majority of the stretch of the foothill road lies under Wokha district and that they have more to gain from the foothill road project,” the release stated.
