Morung Express News
Kohima | March 23
The Indo-Myanmar Border fencing issue was elaborately discussed in the NLA session today, with members urging the House to take concrete resolutions so that the border fencing is prevented in the future.
Expressing the plight of Nagas in the border, RD Minister, CL John mentioned that in his constituency, most of the villagers’ jhum land and forests are in Myanmar and vice versa.
“On the other side, our people, they also have their fields in our side. We don’t have strife over it because it is defined by traditional boundaries. The division has been stirred by the Government of India and Government of Myanmar. But we will not fight among ourselves because our history and the traditional boundaries have been there since time immemorial,” affirmed John while appreciating the civil societies and Government of Nagaland for initiating settlement of the border fencing issue. “Let the border be an imaginary line but among our brothers and sisters, let there be no division or strife,” he appealed.
Parliamentary Secretary, Levi Rengma further requested the House to pass a resolution to request the GoI to completely stop the construction and also prevent border fencing from repeating in the future.
Health Minister, P Longon, who hails from Pangsha village, highlighted the prevailing situation over the construction of border fencing at ITC Pangsha under Noklak sub-division of Tuensang District. Appealing to the consciousness and participation of all Naga people, especially the members of the NLA, Longon asserted that the construction of the border fencing is a direct violation of Article 371 (A).
“Pangsha is an Indian Naga Village where as its Traditional and ancient cultivable land along with huge tracks of virgin forest belonging to Pangsha Village have been arbitrarily demarcated and put in the Myanmar side by the so called imaginary boundary line and Border pillar. The Pangsha Villagers have rejected this exercise from day one and continues to do so. Hence and furthermore, the 39 Nos. of skeletal iron Pillar erected by the Myanmar authorities at present must be removed immediately through proper channel,” stated Longon.
He further stated that the construction has adversely affected the livelihood of the villagers whose four years cycle of Jhum cultivable land has been threatened as well as endangered several livestock including the famed Mithun.
“The recklessness of the Myanmar authority must also be noted where plantation and social forestry, uprooting and damaging of water supply pipeline to the Village were destroyed in the process of construction. Electricity supply Poles remain on the verge of collapse posing grave threat and danger to the innocent Villagers,” stated Longon.
