DIMAPUR, JULY 26 (MExN): The United Naga Tribes Association on Border Areas (UNTABA) has strongly condemned the high handedness of the authorities of Sivasagar District administration of Assam for what it alleged as “willfully trying to usurp and occupy the lands that belongs to Naga people in the border areas under Tuli ADC headquarters.”
A press statement issued by UNTABA stated that the recent incident was not the lone incident while alleging that the people and the authorities from Assam was always trying to provoke the Naga people living in the border areas stretching from Khelma side of Peren District to Tizit under Mon District establish or to occupy the land under every lame excuses.
It stated that if the people under Mejensanger Putu Wameken (MPW) had not handled the situation in a matured way as they did, another border clashes would have erupted again thereby disturbing the peaceful atmosphere in the border areas.
UNTABA also reminded that there is no demarcated boundary between the two states for which active litigation process is undergoing in the Supreme Court for the last 30 years now. If the people and authorities in Assam failed to accept this fact and stop such illegal intrusions, it will not only invite contempt of Court but will invite more unwarranted tensions amongst the people living in both sides of the two states, it stated.
It pointed out that until the Civil Suit No.2 of 1988 is brought to conclusion, the authorities of both the states must work under the Interim Agreement of 1972 and 1979 made between the two State Governments so as to maintain status quo.
Meanwhile, on the pre-emptive action initiated by the Nagaland Government ahead of the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, UNTABA said it was “too little too less” since the entire stretch of the boundary between the two States has no demarcated boundary. And with the people from both the States living in an inter-mingled life style in their day to day lives, hardly distinguishable from each other, UNTABA expressed reservation that in such scenario, it would be a herculean task to conduct verification.
