Dimapur, July 10 (MExN): The United Naga Tribes Association on Border Areas (UNTABA) has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Nagaland State requesting the adoption of an appropriate Resolution in the upcoming Nagaland Legislative Assembly session requesting the Parliament of India to effecting necessary amendment in the Section 3 and 4 of the State of Nagaland Act, 1960 as per the Points No. 12 and 13 of the 16 Points Agreement made between the people of Nagaland and the Government of India in 1960.
Today’s memorandum was sent to the CM by UNTABA Chairman Hukavi T. Yeputhomi and General Secretary Imsumongba Pongen.
A press release sent alongside the memorandum stated that the UNTABA has been “campaigning for the amalgamation of the traditional and historical Naga lands and the Reserved Forests lying under the administration of Assam Government to present Nagaland State for all these years.”
In this regard, in view of the scheduled Assembly Session on July 12, 2016, the UNTABA consisting of senior parliamentarians, retired bureaucrats, eminent social activist, leaders from various Naga Tribes Hoho leaders had conducted door to door meetings with a number of Legislators and had submitted relevant documents including draft resolution copy to the Chief Minister’s Office so that the Government may consider the above mentioned adoption of a resolution.
The UNTABA informed that it has done “extensive consultation” on the boundary issue between Nagaland and Assam and is convinced that it can be settled by political means as Nagaland State was created based on a ‘political agreement’.
Reiterating its list of demands, the UNTABA urged the CM of Nagaland to also consider the appeal of the concerned Naga citizens to file suitable Petition in the honorable Supreme Court praying for the implementation of ‘9 Points Agreement’ of 1947 for the amalgamation, vis-a-vis “bringing back the traditional and historical Naga lands in Assam to Nagaland as agreed between the then Emissaries of the Government of India and the Naga people (NNC).”
It also requested the Chief Minister to direct the concerned authority/Department to maintain clear Naga-Ahom traditional and political boundary in all official documents “since the stand of the Naga people is no more or less than its historical records of the time immemorial.”
The UNTABA also urged the CM to consider allowing the Department of Law & Justice to “directly involve” with the Border Affairs Department to pursue the ongoing litigation process in the Supreme Court. They also requested the CM to appoint a “pro-active Naga veteran as Advisor for proper functioning of various agencies on the border issue.”
