Dimapur, Mar 4 (MExN): In strong protest against encroachment into Intanki National Park, Peren, as well as in demand for immediate land settlement over the issue, the Zeliangrong Students Union and AZSU has called for a 12 hour bandh in Peren district on March 7 from 6 am to 6 pm. The bandh is a first-phase stir which might continue if the government fails to fulfill the students’ demands “on time”.
On the bandh day all vehicle movement, offices, business establishments and educational institutions will remain closed while military forces, police, district administration and medical services are exempted. A note from the presidents of ZSU (N) and AZSU, Lungchui and T Mirhu respectively, stated that Ntangki forest “customarily, traditionally and originally” belongs to the Zeliangrongs of Beisumpui village and was given to the British government around 1921. Later the government declared it as a reserved forest in 1923, a wildlife sanctuary on April 1, 1975 and finally National Park in the year 1993.
The students lamented that ‘some groups’ of people are attempting to establish new villages in Peren district and have been lobbying for government recognition and forcing the district administration to issue No Objection Certificates “which are forcefully encroached without the consent of landowner-villages” of Mhai-Dungki, Jalukie and Beisumpui village. The ZSU has submitted “countless” representations for eviction of the encroached villages as well as land-mongers from the park. The government remains deaf to the cries, the note lamented.
The students’ unions make the following demands to the government: immediate eviction of all land-encroachers from Intanki National Park; immediate settlement of the matter of land-exchange between the Forest department and Beisumpuikam village as approved by the cabinet meeting; “eviction of all land encroached villages” in Peren district and stoppage to all processes involved for government recognition in the “illegal villages” as demanded by the Zeliangrongs.
