Dimapur, March 28 (MExN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has urged the state government of Nagaland to “take a step back and not take any hasty decision” on the issue of oil exploration and extraction in the region, citing the violation of the inalienable rights of the Naga people.
In a press release received here on Tuesday, the Federation also condemned the state government's intention to sign a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of India and Assam, and instead demanded that the tripartite agreement be made public for thorough deliberation, consultations and suggestions prior to the state government acting upon it. The state government cited substantial loss in revenue due to non-extraction of oil as the reason for its intention to start oil exploration and extraction in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) of the Nagaland-Assam border,
Among others, the NSF viewed the state government's move to sign the tripartite agreement with Assam conceding to equal sharing of proceeds on oil and gas from Sectors A, B & C of the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) and keeping the proceeds from Sector D, E & F in an escrow account pending settlement between the two states, as compromising the alienable right of the Naga people over their land and resources.
“It escapes the rationale of the youth and students’ community as to why the state government should share royalty with any other states for any resources whose extraction exercise is carried out solely in the areas been administered by the state government of Nagaland,” it said while urging the state government to reconsider the matter and not take any hasty decision that threatens the future of the upcoming generation in particular and the Naga people in general.
According to the NSF, the ONGC, since 1973, “has been indiscriminately exploiting and extracting crude oil from various places of the Naga homeland without proper records. This act directly undermines the inalienable rights of the Naga people.” This act of the state government was resented and condemned as it does not have the goodwill and mandate of the people, it added.
It also reminded the state government of the Federation’s ‘public statement’ on May 2, 1944 which demanded that all activities of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) of India be immediately halted in all Naga areas. Licenses and permits made with the ONGC of India must be revoked, and the “so-called oil royalty” must not be accepted until modalities that are honourable, acceptable and beneficial to the Naga people are worked out, the students had demanded in the statement.
In light of the Federation’s standing resolution, the NSF admitted that “the illegal extraction by the neighbouring state is leading to massive revenue loss and dwindling of the petroleum deposit.” However, it reasoned that “it cannot the excuse as to why the state government should resort to steps which will compromise with the inalienable right of the Naga people over our land and resources.”
Urging the government of Nagaland to take a step back and not take any hasty decision on the matter, the NSF emphasized that the state government's move to extract oil in the region compromises the Naga people's rights over their land and resources.
