CM Neiphiu Rio. (File Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 8
With the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) announcing another eviction drive in the Lahorijan area bordering Dimapur district, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has written to his Assam counterpart calling for the latter’s intervention.
The call for intervention was purportedly in response to Nagas living across the Dimapur border, approaching Rio with regard to an eviction notice served by the KAAC, recently.
In the letter to the Assam CM, HImanta Biswa Sarma, dated January 6, Rio highlighted how Naga families of Balijan ‘C’ Khan Basti have set up home over the years. He said that the lands were purchased from the “descendants of Late Hazi Manigul Khan, who established the village in 1910.”
He said that the Naga residents, who will be affected as a result of the proposed eviction, “are law-abiding citizens of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, Assam,” many of whom are also availing welfare schemes provided by Government of Assam. Besides, he said, “Their names are also enrolled in the Electoral Roll of the Election Commission of India,” while the lands are under the lawful possession of the law abiding Naga residents there, who have invested their life-long savings to build homes.
According to Rio, the eviction will be unfair and unjust as the Naga residents will be rendered “homeless and landless, which will not only leave them in great hardship and mental trauma but may also result in unrest and law and order problems.”
In view of the circumstances, Rio asked Sarma to intervene and “protect the lives and property of the Naga residents of Karbi Anglong in keeping with social justice and sprit of good neighborly relations between the two States.”
The KAAC has already conducted an eviction drive in Dudu colony, Lahorijan on December 20. It was preceded by a 15-day notice to vacate followed by an eviction notice on December 18.
On January 3, it announced another at Khan Basti reportedly to evict residents without land documents issued by the KAAC. It maintained that the proposed eviction is not targeted at any one particular community.
