The second day of the 8th session of the 13th NLA underway on August 5. (DIPR Photo)
• CM to head Committee on border issue; report to be submitted within 3 months
• Border issue should be amicably settled outside the court by the two State Governments
Morung Express News
Kohima | August 5
The Assam-Nagaland border issue took center stage on the second day of the 8th session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on August 5. The topic had the Treasury and Opposition benches on agreeable terms and concluded with the House adopting a 3-point resolution.
The resolutions included the formation of a ‘Select Committee of the House’ with the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio as Convenor; Deputy CM Y Patton and Leader of Opposition TR Zeliang as Co-convenors; P Paiwang Konyak, Jacob Zhimomi and Mhathung Yanthan as members. The two Member of Parliament, KG Kenye and Tokheho Yepthomi were included as Special Invitees and Commissioner, Nagaland and Secretary in-charge of Border Affairs as Secretary.
The Committee was tasked with examining all aspects of the Assam-Nagaland Border issue and to submit its report within a period of 3 months.
The other two resolutions were to reassert Nagaland state’s stand for out of court settlement by “involving the local communities from both sides” and asking the Union Home Minister “to ensure maintenance of status quo in letter and in spirit in the disputed area till settlement of the issues.”
‘One-sided agreements’
During the House discussion on the matter, the Leader of Opposition TR Zeliang stated that all the four ‘Interim Agreements’ between the governments of Nagaland and Assam in 1972 were to the advantage of the latter.
According to Zeliang, the Agreements should be refreshed and updated otherwise Assam would never settle for an amicable resolution “going by past instances.”
While stating that depending on arbitration of the court “may not bring the matter to its logical conclusion anytime soon,” he said that the imbroglio has to be resolved out of court.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio concurred with the views and recommendations of the Leader of Opposition that the people of Nagaland should unite and take a common stand on this issue. He asserted that any agreement or resolution between the two states should be without any pre-conditions.
Assam CM fanning trouble
MLA Imkong L Imchen hit out at the Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma charging the latter of flaring up the border issue with its neighbouring Northeast states.
He blamed Assam for “politically, bureaucratically and technically” hindering the construction of the Foothills Road. In this regard, he called for a Parliamentary delegation meeting the Prime Minister to intervene so that a special dispensation is given to Nagaland for construction and completion of the project.
With 36 Assam Police posts erected along the border areas by Assam, Imchen recommended setting up of 18 Police posts on the Nagaland side and called for Cabinet approval for implementing and to strengthen Village Guards in Mon, Longleng, Mokokchung and Wokha.
On ground demarcation
Advisor for Border Affairs Mhathung Yanthan highlighted the history of the border dispute. He said, “The first boundary was defined in 1867 through a notification Dt. 16th Dec. 1867. The 1867 Notification was superseded by 1875 Notification but the Eastern Boundary was left undefined. Complete Naga Hills District boundary was defined only in the year 1882 vide Notification No. 32 Dt. 5th August 1882.”
However, he said that large tract of Naga lands, covering an approximately 13,000 sq km, were transferred to Assam in the subsequent decades. He maintained that out of the 22 Reserve Forests, only 10 falls in the so called ‘Disputed Area Belt’ (DAB), constituting about 11 percent of the claimed 13,000 sq km.
While accusing Assam of blatantly violating all the 7 ‘Interim Agreements’ signed in 1972, 1979 and 1985, he said that boundary demarcation can only be done on the ground “after mutual agreement is made between the disputing parties” and not through satellite imagery alone.
Pre-planned design
Minister Temjen Imna Along Longkumer accused the Assam government of engineering a “pre-planned sinister design” to keep fanning the border unresolved border dispute.
“For the government of India and government of Assam, it may be a disturbed or disputed area but it is not disputed, we have been living there from generations to generations. We have never gone to occupy their lands, it is our land,” he stated. According to him, no amount of court decision will ever break the people’s (of Nagaland) emotional attachment with their lands.
Inspite of the many agreements, he said that Assam has been violating the same, while the state of Nagaland has been honouring the agreements all the time.
While reminding that Assam had strategic and tactical advantage over Nagaland, he added that the border affairs should be handled by senior officers. He also called for strong police presence in the inter-state border to prevent any untoward incident.
Others who participated in the discussion include Moatoshi jamir, Mmhonlumo Kikon, Yollow Konyak, Amenba Yaden etc.
