Wokha, August 17 (MExN): The Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation (LLRPO) has urged the Nagaland Government to immediately intervene in the reported proposed eviction of 59 families from No. 2 Negheribil in Merapani along the Assam-Nagaland border.
In a representation addressed to the Border Magistrate, Bhandari Sub-Division in Wokha district, the organisation expressed serious concern over the reported decision of the Golaghat District Administration and Assam Forest Department to resume the eviction of the families, with a deadline of August 18.
The LLRPO said the matter requires immediate intervention by the Nagaland Government as the area referred to as No. 2 Negheribil falls within the jurisdiction of Longayim and Mekirang villages in Nagaland.
It further claimed that land in the area was transferred by Naga landowners to the present occupants through sale agreements, with the relevant documents reportedly available with the concerned landowners.
The organisation said any eviction carried out solely by Assam should not, by implication or subsequent administrative action, establish or strengthen a claim that the disputed land belongs to Assam.
The LLRPO urged the Nagaland Government to activate appropriate administrative and legal mechanisms and engage with the Assam Government before any eviction is undertaken.
If an eviction is legally warranted, it should not be permitted to proceed as a unilateral exercise by Assam in an area whose ownership and jurisdiction remain disputed, it said.
The organisation called for any such action to be undertaken through appropriate joint coordination between the governments of Assam and Nagaland, without prejudicing the territorial and land rights of Nagaland and its indigenous landowners.
The LLRPO urged the Nagaland Government to immediately verify and document the historical and present land ownership of the area through the concerned village authorities, landowners and official records of Longayim and Mekirang.
It also sought verification of the exact location and jurisdiction of No. 2 Negheribil, including traditional village boundaries and relevant land records, instead of allowing the matter to be determined solely on the basis of Assam's administrative classification.
The organisation further urged the state government to engage urgently with the Assam Government and request that no unilateral eviction or consequential occupation or administrative action be undertaken until the jurisdictional and land-ownership issues are properly addressed.
It also said that if the occupants are ultimately evicted pursuant to a lawful judicial process, the underlying land should not automatically be treated as Assam Government land, and the legitimate rights of the original Naga landowners and concerned villages should be recognised and protected.
"This is not merely an issue concerning the eviction of 59 families," the LLRPO said, adding that it has serious implications for Nagaland's territorial interests, the rights of indigenous landowners and the unresolved Assam-Nagaland border question.
The organisation cautioned that any failure to act at this stage could have consequences beyond the immediate eviction exercise.
The LLRPO requested the Border Magistrate to treat the matter as urgent and initiate necessary action with the competent authorities of the Nagaland Government while keeping the concerned village authorities and landowners informed of developments.
"The Government of Nagaland cannot remain a silent spectator where an action by another State has the potential to affect the territorial and land rights of its people," it said.
