• Refutes SCAN’s ‘misleading’ allegation as unfortunate
• Says Ntangki National Park will remain protected & preserved
Dimapur, October 25 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) today stated that it was “unfortunate” that the Senior Citizen Association of Nagaland (SCAN) had targeted NSCN “unfairly with their misleading statement” that it occupied the Ntangki National Park (NP) and put “under its full control.”
Given the magnitude of the issue, SCAN should have acted in a more responsible manner instead of “highly inflammatory allegations,’ it said.
Accordingly, among others, the NSCN (IM), pointed out that Ntangki was never a topic of “discussion during the course of Indo-Naga political” and nothing to do with Naga political settlement.
“Whether there is solution or not, it will remain protected and shall be preserved as Naga national property,” stated a rejoinder issued by the MIP, NSCN/GPRN.
The NSCN (IM)’s rejoinder hold significance as four ‘landowner villages’ of Hebron Camp and Ntangki National Park-Old Jalukie, Jalukiekam, Beisumpui and Beisumpuikam on October 23 also clarified that the Hebron Camp is “not within the jurisdiction of the Ntangki National Park.”
Meanwhile, in the rejoinder the NSCN (IM) further asserted that in “no occasion NSCN had disturbed or caused harassment to the forest department in performing its duties”
“The NSCN as a responsible organisation will never overstep its role to stoop that low to be a source of nuisance to the forest department and thus, the question of forest department having to ask permission from the NSCN should never arise,” it stated, terming the “fabricated” statement highly uncalled for.
Instead of controlling, if counter-measures been not been taken by the NSCN (IM), the park “could have been another story today,” it asserted.
The critical need to protect the Ntangki forest and wildlife was taken up during the NSCN National Assembly, Gilgal Camp, 1996 and it was resolved to protect and preserve Ntangki forest as wildlife reserved forest, it informed.
It further pointed out that it is on record that Ntangki belongs to Old Bisumpui village with defined boundaries.
Significantly, Hebron is outside the boundaries of Ntangki and originally belongs to Old Jalukie village. The Jalukiekam village was established with the permission of Old Jalukie village and is a recognised village with specific boundaries, the NSCN (IM) stated.
The Hebron Camp is very much within the Jalukiekam village jurisdiction and outside the boundary of Ntangki and not as recklessly claimed by SCAN, it added.
It further pointed out that Jalukiekam village authorities gave permission to NSCN (IM) to establish its Council Headquarters (CHQ), Hebron Camp with the condition that the “land will be returned to the owner Jalukiekam village in the event of NSCN leaving the place,” it added.
The NSCN (IM) also reminded that it was during the chief minister-ship of SC Jamir that Hebron was allocated as “ceasefire designated camp and he should be well aware that the camp has nothing to do with Ntangki National Park.”
The Nagaland Forest department claimed to have acquired the land at present Hebron Camp from one Kachari who had been paying land taxes to old Jalukie village but how can a tenant sell the land?, it posed.
The forest colony/Hebron was never given to the forest department by its landowner Jalukiekam or Old Jalukie Village, it asserted.
The Ntangki Park Director in an interview recently has also said that there was no “indication that NSCN has encroached upon” the park, it pointed out.
In this connection, the NSCN (IM) called it “disheartening” that SCAN raised a “great hue and cry against something that does not exist at all.”
Discerning people should be able to read between the lines how SCAN’s irresponsible utterance is done deliberately to provoke public outcry against the NSCN and exposed its ulterior motive, it maintained.
The NSCN (IM) also stated that a former candidate of the State Assembly Election as its spokesman has “nullified” the SCAN’s claim of being a “non political organization” and deemed it unfortunate.
